


Sith Know No Love

by CatiiaSofiia, MissChrisDaae



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Dubious Consent, Emotional Baggage, F/M, Forced Marriage, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, Miscarriage, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Slow Burn, Suitless Vader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-09-16 00:57:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 37
Words: 160,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9266654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatiiaSofiia/pseuds/CatiiaSofiia, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissChrisDaae/pseuds/MissChrisDaae
Summary: Anakin Skywalker was found to be The Chosen One of the Force. The Sith, that ruled as an Empire, fought The Jedi, the Rebels, for the custody of the child in Tatooine. Anakin was nine and getting to the child first, Emperor Palpatine – Darth Sidious – convinced him that it was the Jedi’s fault his Mother had died and he wished to help him be stronger, better, more powerful.This is how Anakin accepted the Dark Side teachings and became Darth Vader, the Prince of the Empire, the successor of Palpatine. As he grew older, Vader grew darker, powerful, stronger, and tired of being Palpatine’s lap dog. He plans on killing Palpatine and take the throne.For that, he blackmails Senator Padmé Amidala into marrying him, after Palpatine orders him to murder her on treason charges. Secretly attracted to the Senator, Vader uses her as a pawn to his plans and successfully becomes Emperor and the only thing left, is having his own blood line.However, Darth Vader is not ready to fall in love with a woman who couldn’t despise him more. Or does she?





	1. Proposition

“Could you use something a little softer than this if you have to tie me up?”

“If you didn’t struggle so much, my Lady, I wouldn’t have to tie you up in the first place,” Vader said with a roll of his eyes. “You are aware that the Empire regards you as a traitor. As a spy for the Rebel Alliance. These are very serious crimes.”

“Sheev Palpatine sees me as a threat, you mean,” she corrected icily, glaring up at the Imperial heir. “A beautiful young woman from his home world, well-educated and beloved by the people— He’s right to be worried, fewer and fewer tolerate his tyranny, regardless of whether or not they voice it. But even so, your highness, expressing a different opinion is not the same as allying with a group of freedom fighting extremists.”

> Vader watched her speak, amused. Senator Amidala always captured his attention in more ways than one. While his Master, yes, was annoyed due to her popularity among the Senate and the Naboo people, she was their former Queen, after all, Vader’s interest was much more personal and intimate.
> 
> “Senator, all due respect, I hate politics. I couldn't care less which one of you is the popular kid in school,” Vader rolls his eyes. “Although, if you do say that to my Master, I will have to hurt you because that would be a rude thing from you, Senator, since I am being nice. I was sent here to kill you, you know, not to tie you up, but the second option sounded so much better.”
> 
> He knelt to her height, biting his lip. “I was always very…” he raised one hand to brush a strand of hair from her face. “Curious about you, Senator and maybe, we can come to an agreement? You give me something I want, and I’ll let you keep breathing…” His yellowish eyes were heavy with intent.

“So my refusal means my death?”

She stared directly into his eerie golden eyes, knowing exactly what he was after. It was the same as nearly every other man she’d ever met her own age. “Killing me would create quite a backlash, I’m surprised Sheev sent you to do it in this fashion. It seems…. sloppy.”

Clenching her jaw, she tried to push him out of her mind as much as possible as she deliberated. Palpatine kept his Apprentice on a very short leash, for Vader to be interested in her was a great act of defiance indeed. And it could give her leverage over the next Emperor, if Palpatine ever decided he was going to die.

“I might be listening.”

> “Death or prison. Come to think of it, I don’t know which one of the options would be worse,” he said with a cold smile. “Sidious had an entire set of plans to spin your death in the Empire’s favor. All of them, by destroying your reputation and going after your family,” he added. “You have two small nieces, don’t you? Your actions will reflect their safety, My Lady,” Vader said in a sing-song tone.
> 
> Vader observed her for a moment. Her Force signature indicated that she wasn’t lying about listening to his proposal, but she had her own agenda. That was alright, he liked her ambition, her eagerness to save everyone. Sad and pathetic, maybe, but enchanting.
> 
> “I have plans. For myself. For the Empire,” he said bluntly but didn’t dwell on details. “I will need someone by my side, a Consort. Putting it in simple terms, Senator, I want you. All of you,” Vader’s yellow eyes seemed to shift, the liquid gold that scarred his irises looked like they were swirling with anticipation. “If you accept, you will join me in my quarters at the Imperial Palace and I will explain to Sidious that his sources were trying to take you out because of your… association with me and Sidious knows how I hate people meddling with my things…” his tone was calm, neutral. “If you refuse, however, you already are aware of the consequences.”

_Ryoo and Pooja…._ Those sweet, innocent little girls… How soulless could a person be to threaten children in such a way? It went against everything the people of Naboo valued. “You’re despicable, the both of you.” Her eyes narrowed in defiance. “Bed me all you want, but know I’ll be despising you every moment.”

Whatever plans he might have had were probably clumsy, given he’d outright said he didn’t care for politics, but there was one move she could see very clearly in this little arrangement.

“And the Rebels would no longer be able to use me as a rallying symbol once it became public knowledge that I’m your whore,” she added coldly. “Give it whatever pretty name you want, Vader, we know that’s what the people will see me as.”

She folded her arms. “You want me to play the part, I have conditions. I want at least three rooms to myself within your residence. I want my own handmaidens and my own security officers, from Naboo. And I want your word that my family will not be harmed as long as I live.”

> “I like to think I’m just resourceful,” Vader replied cheekily, watching the Force around her, vibrate with her anger at him using her nieces. Sweet little girls. He didn’t want to hurt them, he needed her to cooperate. “Oh, how rude, My Lady, I’m not looking for someone to just lay there,” his grin was feral. “You might say that now, Senator, but know that you cannot lie to me. The Force around you tells me how you feel. Your body betrays you. How can you take so many conclusions if I haven’t touched you yet?”
> 
> He could sense how she was confident his plans were of no importance. He could see the thoughts running through her head, could feel the Force vibrate around her. Oh, if only she knew how many of Sidious’s advisors were already on his side. Of how half of the Senate was in his pocket. This woman really did not know with whom she was getting in bed with.
> 
> “Exactly,” he grinned. “Pretty and smart, a deadly combination,” Vader chuckled. “Don’t treat yourself to that term,” he said with a scowl. “The only people who will think that of you are your people, the Rebels. The ones faithful to the Empire will be happy for us. Are you imagining the headlines? Former Queen of Naboo and the Prince of the Empire? It’s written in the stars,” his faked cheerfulness made him laugh quietly.
> 
> He raised his eyebrows at her conditions. Silently, he nodded and he walked behind her, to release her from her ties. “I accept your conditions, My Lady, with just a minor addition of my own. I’ll give you the three bedrooms, but you will share my bed, every night,” his words were spoken in a whisper by her ear, and his hands were on her shoulders.”As for your family, you do have my word. I’ll even throw a few visits, how does that sound? You can go to Naboo once every three months, for three days, with my guards.”
> 
> “Pretty?” Padmé repeated disdainfully. “If you want to sell this story to the Holonet as a star-crossed romance, you’re going to have to do a lot better at complimenting and wooing me, I have no shortage of suitors both on Naboo and in the Senate, all of them substantially more charming than you.“

The fact that he complied with her terms so quickly set her on edge. There had to be an angle he was keeping to himself— and she stiffened as she felt his lips on her ear and his hands on her shoulders, trying not to wince. “I’m surprised a single woman can satisfy you. Your master keeps a harem, after all, and he has no need of one, considering that he already has you for a successor.”

A cold feeling of dread began to sink in as she realized what she’d just said. _Successor.  Heir. Children_. Then she forced herself to stop thinking about it before he read her mind. She could find a way to prevent such things, she would never let it come to that.

“Might that time be renegotiated if I… please you well enough?” she asked instead. The words left a sour taste in her mouth, she hated that her life now relied on pleasing a man whose way of life was repulsive to her.

> Feisty. He liked it. Vader’s lips curled up in a cold smile before he nodded. “Should I use another compliment? Beautiful, captivating, enchanting?” He waves his hand around in the air. “Might I remind you, My Lady, that if the Holonet buys the star-crossed story, it will be harder for the Emperor to get rid of you? He won’t be happy with me returning to him with the news that I’ve spared your life for my own selfish reasons,” Vader explained. “The more the public loves us, the less he can do about it,” he hissed. “So, _sweetheart_ ,” he spat the term. “Be the foolish in love girl, or your life will be a short one.”
> 
> Vader was always attracted to her intellect. He was tired of brainless women. There was something about Padmé Amidala, that affected him, not that he would ever admit it to her. Besides being a useful pawn in his plans (be it political, be it for its own pleasure), she was an interesting woman to be around and of course, if she eventually softened to him, to talk with too.
> 
> His eyebrows quirked up at her expression. He would make her want him. Right now, she might hate him for a thousand reasons, but Vader was going to make Padmé hate him for making her want him. Badly. “I have no doubt that you will do everything to please me,” he said huskily. “But that won’t influence the time with your family. It might influence me to give you other benefits. If you want to spend more time with your family…” he pursed his lips, deep in thought, his hands trailing down her arms with a feather-like touch. “You’ll have to behave,” Vader answer simply. “If you contact the Rebel Alliance, I give you my word the consequences are going to be severe. You never know what I might do, My Lady, and I might not do it directly to you.”

“You should take your own advice,” she warned, trying to pull away from his touch.  “Because at this moment, the story you’re selling is one where you tear my clothes off, have your way with me, then discard me when I no longer interest you. And if I notice that, reporters will notice that, and then your life will be just as short as mine, _sweetheart_.” She threw the endearment back just as venomously, and stood, trying to get away from his toxic presence by putting at least an arm’s length between the two of them before she looked him directly in the eye.

“I’ll behave for the sake of the people I was chosen to serve, the people I care for. I have no qualms about sacrificing my happiness to save lives, that is the measure of a true leader. Something I think both you and Sheev have conveniently forgotten in your lust for power and control.”

Oh, those golden eyes terrified her, but as much as he expected her to play the fool in love, the best way that she could survive with some semblance of still being herself would be to prove she was more than a match for him. That she was not simply a pretty trophy he could walk around and show off.

“If you want me playing the girl in love, you might give me some things to work with. Vader isn’t exactly a name that evokes feelings of passionate whirlwind romances, for one.”

> “Oh, you’re absolutely right,” Vader snapped his fingers. “I mean, they need a grand gesture, something to make them truly believe that the great former Queen of Naboo is committed to the Empire and the Empire only,” he added and while she tried to get away, to put some distance between them, he didn’t allow it. He moved forward. Closer. “I should turn you into Lady Vader,” he grinned. “What a brilliant idea. A royal wedding,” his eyes were enjoying seeing her squirm with the idea and he couldn’t help but like being the dominant presence.
> 
> “How very selfless of you,” he whispered. “It’s sad. Because… someone that serves you just turned you into the Emperor for a heavy bag of credits,” Vader explained. “I am here because someone talked and now Sidious wants you dead. These are the people you plead your loyalty to. Traitors. Easily bought. Don’t worry about him, if we come to a final agreement, I will handle him for you.”
> 
> Vader licked his lips as he watched her struggle to keep her composure under his stare. He tensed as she asks him for something more. His name. No. He wouldn’t give it to her. “My name is Darth Vader, Senator, there’s nothing else for you to call me,” the other one ws dead. He was a pathetic weakling, always crying for his Mother, always believing. Foolish, idiotic creature, I am not him. “In public, you can address me as My Lord, Lord Vader, or you find a force-damned nickname to go with,” he hissed through clenched teeth.

Padmé took a step back, eyes widening as he told her she had a traitor in her retinue. He had to be lying. This was meant to sow distrust between her and those with whom she was closest. She would not let this shake her and she swallowed down her fear, thinking of something that would bring the battle back into her territory.

“You’ll be escorting me to Naboo before anything else happens, then, my lord,” she told him, sounding braver than she really felt. “I don’t know about… wherever it is Sith come from, but on my planet, there are very specific traditions to be observed when a man intends to propose to a woman.” Of course, most of those traditions involved those two people actually being in love, but this was the furthest thing from a traditional arrangement. And it gave her an excuse to go home and talk to her family at least briefly before she was essentially enslaved to this horrible man.

> Vader could see the clear doubt in her eyes. So expressive. “I am not lying to you. Not everyone that follows you is loyal to you. I am able to prove it to you,” he took two steps closer, he could sense the fear, the insecurity she felt, and how knowing she had been betrayed, hurt.
> 
> “You’re very high maintenance, you know that?” He declared dryly, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. “You want me to ask your parents for your hand? Like they would dare to refuse your marriage to the most powerful man in the Galaxy,” Vader rolled his eyes, huffing. “I don’t have time for casual visits, or to make small talk. I am going back tonight to brief Sidious and we will be married in one standard week. You will move into the Palace tomorrow. If you want, you can bring your family here for the ceremony, but they’ll have to leave after it’s done,” he declared.
> 
> Vader invaded her personal space, his voice becoming more quiet, more deadly. “I am not to be played with. I didn’t choose you randomly, My Lady. I know what I’m doing. Trust me, I have plans for you too,” he twirled one of her locks in his finger, before releasing it and it bounced on her shoulder. “Don’t think you have the right to demand things from me. You owe me your life and the ones you care about will only live if you obey to me. Are we clear?”
> 
> Not wanting to delay his conversation with Sidious for much longer – Force knows his Master would throw a tantrum— he stepped away. “There is Stormtroopers everywhere, My Lady. I will let you spend the last night here before you are picked up tomorrow and moved to the Imperial Palace. Until we are married, you have your own bedchambers. Sleep well, Senator,” he said with a cold smile before he left the apartment.

“I suggested it for the sake of your wanting us to give the people a romance, my lord,” she shot back, “but if you insist, then fine. You’ve made yourself tyrannically clear, and I’ll obey you to the letter—” saying nothing about intent— “but since I’d hate to deprive your master of his lapdog, by all means, take your leave of me. Good night.”

She turned away from him, rushing to the fresher to scrub off the awful taint of his touch and his presence. There was no sleeping after such an encounter. The water washing over her granted a brief respite before her brain started projecting possible scenarios about the future that lay before her. Palpatine and his cronies would inevitably follow Vader’s example in presenting this to the public as a beautiful love story but on Naboo…

On Naboo, people would wonder why there hadn’t been even the semblance of a courtship between their beloved former Queen and the Emperor’s Heir. Some would whisper that it was covering up an indiscretion, others would probably guess at the truth. The young men who had been attempting to woo her would probably retreat into solitude for a time, or else be foolish enough to try and challenge Vader in misguided attempts at gallantry. The Rebel Alliance would either consider her an enemy or try to mount a rescue and if the latter happened, lives would undoubtedly be lost.

 _One standard week_. Five days before she was trapped as… Lady Vader forever. The thought of it almost made her ill, and she spent the rest of the night tossing and turning and staring out the windows. By the time the Imperial Guard arrived to assist with the moving of her and her staff, she looked like hell, even after her handmaidens had fully dressed her and done her makeup. The Holonet would probably have a field day with that.

* * *

Telling Sidious the news was not easy, but it was extremely gratifying for Vader to see his Master turn red with rage. Before he was able to fully explain himself, Sidious wasted no time in a few minutes of Sith lightning torture. Vader didn’t scream anymore. He took it all in stride. It drained his energies, it messed his brain and it made him weak. Soon, Sidious, soon I will run this lightsaber through your gut and you are no more! “I told you to kill her. Not to propose to her, you fool!” Sidious growled and Vader was hit with another wave of Sith lightning.

“We were involved before, my Master,” Vader lied, smoothly.

“You dare to lie to me?” Sidious was enraged and raised his hands again.

“You said it yourself, Master, that Senator Amidala is a symbol of hope for the Rebels. Her association with me will destroy any reputation she might keep with the Alliance. They won’t touch her once it’s public knowledge she’s mine. They’ll know they can never count on her help again. By marrying Senator Amidala, the Alliance is losing one of its biggest hopes,” Vader interrupted and stated formally, pretending like he wasn’t suffering from Sith lightning side effects like blurry vision and a rusty taste of blood in his mouth. “She is of interest to me. I want her. The fact that the Rebel Alliance is going to take a hit will be a bonus for you, my Master, and the Empire.”

At that line of thought, Sidious stopped his torture. Vader was right, he couldn’t deny. “Very well, Lord Vader, you might have the Senator. Is she aware of the consequences of what will happen if she betrays us?” Vader nodded, a dark glint in his eyes. “Good. Then tomorrow morning we shall make the announcement. You shall retire for the night, Lord Vader.”

After leaving Sidious’ office, Vader got back to his bedchambers, barely standing on his feet. He was able to shout the orders to prepare the rooms for Senator Amidala, but after that, he laid in bed, trying to empty his mind and heal his body. Now, he couldn’t be weak. Not at all. It wasn’t long until the Empire belonged to him and him only. And if everything went according to plan, soon, he would have his own heir.


	2. Preparation

**_Senator Padmé Amidala left the penthouse of the 500 Republica Residential Tower this morning with two handmaidens in tow, two officers from the Royal Naboo Security forces and no less than ten stormtroopers surrounding her as they boarded the Imperial Speeder already loaded with her wardrobe and personal belongings and set off for the Palace._ **

So read the preamble to the first of the stories on the Holonet about the whole situation, and for that entire trip, Padmé could feel people in other lanes turning to look at her, she sensed the tension in the air as they wondered what was happening.

Palpatine himself was waiting for when she arrived, all benevolent smiles and gracious airs, even going so far as to offer her his hand for support as she stepped out of the speeder and pulling her into a very unwanted embrace. “So glad you will be joining our little family, my dear, I always considered you something of a daughter.”

“You honor me, Your Excellency,” Padmé answered with equally forced benevolence, curtsying when he finally released her. “I only hope I can continue to serve the people of this galaxy faithfully.”

“Not to worry, not to worry, I have personally informed the Queen of your impending marriage and instructed her to choose a successor to take your place immediately. No need to thank me, I am all too happy to serve the people, after all.” The smile he gave her with those words looked more like he was thinking about how best to kill, cook and eat her. “Your betrothed is currently indisposed, but I am more than capable of making certain you’re comfortable here. We can see about the two of you making your first official appearance this evening. I took the liberty of commissioning appropriate attire.”

“How generous of you…” She felt her own smile start to falter a little. “I’d love to see more of my… new home.”

> Vader had slept in. Usually, he only did it whenever his talks with his Master got more aggressive like the previous night. Sidious had raised him since he was ten after the Jedi tried to kill him when they found out about his powers. When his Mom…sighing, annoyed that his mind was drifting to the wrong subject again, he raised from his bed. He was still in the previous night’s clothes, so he was quick to discard them and take a long hot shower.
> 
> The Senator had arrived by now. Sidious was probably welcoming her…he didn’t want her around Sidious very much. He had to meet them quickly. He dressed in casual robes, always in black, and attached the lightsaber to his belt. His curly, golden hair was still damp, falling a bit over his eyes. Looking himself in the mirror, he grimaced at the pale look and the dark bags under his eyes. He couldn’t look weak. Now, more than ever, he had to show resilience and power.
> 
> He had all the pieces to be the next Emperor, including the public’s sweetheart to occupy the Empress’ place. Padmé Amidala was going to help him be accepted as the Emperor through the Galaxy. It was not just killing Sidious. It was taking everything from him. He was hated by his people and Vader is not saying that he wants to be loved. No. Sith didn't believe or feel love. He wants respect. Right now, they fear him. Padmé will give him the image that he needs. And much more than she knows.
> 
> Vader found Sidious and the Senator in the Emperor’s office. He knocked and stood by the door. “My Lady, I am so pleased to see you here,” he smiled. “Master, you won’t mind me stealing my bride for a brief tour of her new home, would you?” He extended his gloved hand to Padmé, knowing she had to accept it and look happy, otherwise Sidious would kill them both.

Padmé had never thought in her wildest dreams that she’d ever actually be happy to see Darth Vader. But it was an immense relief because anything was better than being stuck under the scrutinizingly wicked gaze of her former mentor.  “It would be my honor, my lord, you know how much I love spending time with you.” She did her damnedest to sound sincere, but it was as blatant a lie as she’d ever told. “If the Emperor will allow it, obviously.”

“I suppose.” The warning gleam in Sidious’ eyes was unmistakable as he looked at both his Apprentice and his former protégée. “But do not take too long, I’ve arranged for a public appearance for the both of you in three hours, and I’m sure dear Padmé will need time to tend to her appearance.”

“I would never dream of disappointing the people, Your Excellency,” Padmé answered through a tight smile as she accepted the extended hand of her unwanted fiancé. “I promise you, we’ll both be punctual and more than presentable. My lord, shall we?” 

> Vader couldn’t blame the relief she felt at seeing him. Maybe she hated him, yes, but he believed he was a much better company than his Master. “I know, you can’t keep your hands off of me,” he teased darkly as he took her hand and squeezed it, pulling her possessively to his side. He didn’t trust Sidious. He needed to be wary and think twice about every movement. He would be watching his relationship with Padmé under a magnifying glass. Vader couldn’t afford mistakes.
> 
> “You will love the Gardens, My Lady, our Emperor has kept a bit of Naboo to himself,” Vader added. “Do not worry, Master, I will give my bride time to arrange herself. Far from me to stop her from being her best at our first appearance as a betrothed couple,” he grinned victoriously over Padmé’s head, golden eyes glistening.
> 
> Obviously, Sidious didn’t grin back at him. Instead, he faced him with cold and sick yellow eyes. “If you excuse us,” he placed his other hand on the small of her back and all but pushed out of her office. “Hate me all you want, My Lady, but my company is sure to better and more pleasurable than my Master’s,” he whispered in her ear, as he stood behind her. “Now come, I was not kidding about the Gardens. I believe this exists only because he was sucking up to the Queen about how he missed his planet and how much it meant to him.”
> 
> Vader watched her curiously. “Don’t look so sour, Senator, you might as well get comfortable. You’re going to be living here a while.”

“I know, she told me as much when she appointed me Senator,” Padmé answered, not really maintaining eye contact as they started their little tour. “And it’s difficult not to look a little on edge when I had a very sleepless night and the master of the house I’m now living in is not exactly the warmest person.”

The moment she saw the garden, the icy exterior she’d been projecting melted. It really did look like a garden at a Lake District villa, complete with a water feature that replicated the waterfalls surrounding the meadows. “Oh…”

She dropped Vader’s hand and rushed to get a better look, forgetting where she was, if only briefly. It was worth it to pretend she was home. “It’s beautiful…” 

> Vader watched as her Force signature grew softer and more tender. This place was a good idea and he was actually glad Sidious hadn’t taken it down yet. If it kept her more distracted and pleased, he wouldn’t mind having it. Vader had to admit it was a peaceful place. Away from the harsh reality and rushed pace of Coruscant. Away from politics, rebels, Jedi and Sith.
> 
> Often, when meditation got harder for him, he would take a walk in these gardens, gathering his thoughts. “Well, I believe you found your place at the Palace, yes?” Vader raised his eyebrows. “Good thing is not far from our bedroom and the others you have requested. Whenever you do get lost, just ask the nearest Stormtrooper to guide you,” he walked beside her. “I will assign two of my top officers to your security detail. Fives and Echo. Be nice to them.”
> 
> He came to the middle of a clearing and turned to her. “The Emperor is not to be trusted. He will try to catch us in our lie, and remember what I told you last night, your life and the lives of the ones you love will be in danger. For now, I’ll let you be in a room just for yourself, after all, we are not yet married,” there was a dark glint in his bright yellow eyes. “After our marriage, you will share my bed and my bed only,” he looked at her from top to bottom. For a long time, he had been desiring her. Watching others flirting with her and making her laugh. “Have you ever had anyone?” Vader didn’t believe so, but just to be sure…the thought that she could be his and only his, was something extremely arousing.

“It would be my place if only I knew about it. I know I wouldn’t fancy it so much if I were to come across the Emperor taking a constitutional through it,” Padmé pointed out. “And I have no reason to be anything but nice to your troopers, it’s not their fault they were grown to be your lackeys. I’ll be nice, but I won’t trust them any more than I trust you.”

His warning about the Emperor made her scoff. As if she would ever consider trusting that wormy little man after he betrayed every ideal of the Naboo people. But the barely subtle references to what Vader intended for her caught her off guard, sending a scarlet flush up her cheeks and neck. “That’s personal,” she said defensively. “And regardless, I wouldn’t tell you. I know that would be tantamount to signing their death warrants. I know you don’t like to share.” 

> “The Emperor does not come here. Only when the Queen is visiting does he come here,” Vader waved her concerns off. “Ask any of my troopers and you will know I treat them with the respect they deserve. When I go into battle, they are the ones I have to trust. They are not lackeys, My Lady,” he scolded her.
> 
> A slow smile grew on his lips, as he saw the red color spread itself on her neck and cheeks. Her Force signature screamed flustered and embarrassed. “No, I do not, I am glad you are aware of that,” he said smugly. “Even so, I don’t believe I have anything to worry,” he took one step forward to invade her personal space, again, just like the previous night. He could feel her perfume, her scent intoxicating him. “You haven’t taken any lovers yet,” Vader’s whisper came before his face came closer to hers and his lips brushed hers. His hands came around her waist as he held her in place.
> 
> His lips came down on hers, gently before becoming demanding, his mouth moving over hers, coaxing her to open to him.

Padmé let out a muffled yelp as his mouth covered hers, her hands pressing against his chest to try and get him off as she struggled for breath.

This was not her first kiss, that had been another lifetime ago when she was just another member of the Legislative Youth Program, with Palo, and his dreamy eyes, and dark curls…  Palo, Ian, Rush. All beyond her reach now as her fiancé gave her a kiss she could only describe as possessive.

There was a burning taste to his lips; something like a hot desert wind, or a fire, and she didn’t like it, she needed it gone— a burst of strength ran through her and she managed to pull away from him. “I need to breathe,” she said, giving him the lamest of excuses. 

> The Senator pushed him away and Vader should have felt annoyed, but he didn’t. He was just smug. “Well, I wouldn’t want to stop you from breathing, My Lady,” he smiled, as he caressed her cheek, before dropping his hand. “I should allow you to get ready for the event that the Emperor prepared. He wants to show us to the entire Galaxy. Maybe talk with your family before? Give them a heads up?” Vader suggested with a smirk.
> 
> “I do have a job to do, engaged or not, so I will pick you up a few minutes before it starts. Remember to smile. To look happy. Nobody can know the truth, otherwise…” he trailed off, knowing that the Senator was well aware of what would happen to her and her loved ones. “I do hope I don’t always have to remind you that actions have consequences.”
> 
> Vader left her alone in the Gardens and went to his office. He dispatched Echo and Fives to the Senator’s detail, telling them that her safety was of the utmost importance and that anything that threatened her life or their wedding, was to be immediately stopped. He went along with his day, organizing the troops and assignments, knowing that from now on, Sidious would be watching his every move.
> 
> Soon, it was time to leave for the event that Sidious organized and after changing into his formal clothes, he went and knocked on the door of the Senator’s room.

Padmé gave his retreating back one last withering glance before going to find her new apartments. She hadn’t gotten far before two clones approached her, and confirmed that they were Fives and Echo. And while she wasn’t thrilled to be under constant supervision, she found both of them to be relatively polite and good enough company.

The one detractor was that they seemed to be replacing Typho and Panaka, despite her original deal with Vader. She couldn’t find either of her usual guards as she looked through the entire suit. But with time running short, her attendants had to get her changed and ready for her début as the future Princess of the Empire.

The dress Palpatine had commissioned for her was simultaneously the most revealing and restrictive thing she’d ever worn. The skirt was a marbled white silk overlaid with black lace, tailored to limit her movements, the bodice stiff and unforgiving black leather with matching gloves. There was also a black wrap made of feathers to afford a touch more modesty, a necklace of glittering black beads that looked more like a chain designed to choke her, and a silver circlet to go in her hair.

It was a challenge for Dormé and Sabé to find a balance between demureness and sensuality, but they all silently knew what the consequences would be if they couldn’t find it. They were just giving her a few more finishing touches when the knock on the door sounded. Echo answered it, bowing as he allowed Vader inside. “Milady, Lord Vader’s here.”

“Thank you, Echo, I noticed,” Padmé said kindly, standing to greet her fiancé with a curtsy. “My lord.”

> Vader would be lying if he said that the dress that she was wearing did not stir something inside of him. It made her look like a true Empress. Not that she was aware of his quick plans for them, but it was an incredible dress and Vader would have to congratulate whoever Sidious got to pick it out for her.
> 
> “You look lovely, My Lady,” he said with an approving smile. “That dress does flatter you in many ways,” Vader nodded, He offered her his arm. “Shall we go and tend to our guests, My Lady? After all, they are expecting us,” he grinned.
> 
> The dinner event Sidious put together, was of course filled with everyone of importance that could come on such short notice, plus all the Senators, the previous colleagues of Padmé. Besides all of them, there were Holonet reporters, to document the night.
> 
> When they both stepped into the ballroom, it went deadly quiet. All the attention fell on them. “Don’t disappoint me, My Lady, you know what you are here for,” he whispered in her ear, with a smile. “Smile. The Galaxy is watching,” he moved his mouth away at the same time the Emperor approached him. “Quite the crowd you gathered, Master.”
> 
> “I wanted everyone to know of you two, so there are no more mistakes like the previous night,” Sidious spoke, fake regret in his last words. “Such a terrible misunderstanding could have lead to a tragedy. Worry not, the spy is going to be punished. You two should show yourself to the Galaxy, my dears, it’s not every day we get a royal wedding,” his smile was deadly.
> 
> Vader knew. Sidious wanted him to fail, wanted his mask to drop. But it wouldn’t. If there was someone who was going to lose here, it was going to be him.

His warning could not have come sooner, and she managed the kind of serene smile she had projected at a thousand different social events over her extensive political career. It faltered, however, when she made eye contact with Rush Clovis. Had Vader glimpsed him in her mind, and was trying to rub it in his face? Or was this another machination by Palpatine, meant to torture her? Padmé didn’t have time to figure it out properly because she saw the old man coming closer, and she needed to resume projecting appearances.

“We’re honored and grateful that you’ve done so much to help us celebrate,” she said. “The gown is just lovely, thank you for your generosity.”

“You look stunning in it, my dear. If I were a younger man…” Palpatine trailed off, giving her a leer that made her pull the shawl a little tighter around her chest with the hand that was not linked through Vader’s arm. “But alas, I am not. Go on, socialize. I’m content to watch on the sidelines with the others.”

Others meaning the reporters. “Thank you, your Excellency.” Padmé started tugging Vader away, towards a few of the Senators she didn’t know quite as well. Unfortunately, she hadn’t realized that their numbers included Lott Dod of the Trade Federation. It would have been worse if it was Nute Gunray, but there was no love lost between Padmé and Neimoidians as a whole after the failed Invasion of Naboo. “Good evening—”

“Ah, Amidala,” one of the women cooed at her rather disrespectfully. “Now we know why you always seemed to protest so many of the Emperor’s ideas, you were covering up your dalliances with his successor. I suppose once a girl has a taste of sitting on a throne, she inevitably tries to get another one.” 

> At Sidious’s comment, Vader’s shoulder got tense. It was sick of the old man to make such insinuations to the Senator and discreetly, he took one step forward, so Padmé was half-hidden behind his figure. “Don’t care about his comments. He means to rattle you,” Vader told her after Sidious was gone.
> 
> Politicians…how he hated them! Glancing sideways at Senator Amidala, he thought that maybe, some of them were tolerable. Now, Darth Vader might be seen by Senator Amidala as a heartless monster who had blackmailed her into an unwanted union and maybe, he even was. Some of the missions he oversaw, were not very well accepted by the Senate, and much less by the former Queen of Naboo. But even the Senator had to admit that he had more class and tact than these men that were leering at her and accusing her of something that wasn’t true.
> 
> “In fact, Senator,” Vader spoke before Padmé could defend herself. “Senator Amidala and I usually do fight about some of the Empire’s moves. She’s really passionate about her beliefs, but it’s one of the reasons she will do so well if it ever happens that she becomes the next Empress. What fun is it if she agreed with me on everything?” His yellow eyes turned cold and deadly next. “It would really, really upset me, Senator, if you were insinuating that Senator Amidala was just using me as a means to an end. Do you really believe I would be such a fool, is that what you are trying to say?”
> 
> The woman took a step back, unable to hide the fear in her eyes. “Of— of course not, Lord Vader, I only meant—”

“I think we all know exactly what you meant,” Padmé interrupted, realizing that they actually had been handed an opportunity to sell their blatantly false love story. “But don’t you think I would have set my sights on the current ruler if I were only after the throne?” She curled her arm a little tighter around Vader’s, nuzzling his shoulder as she did so. “You’re not entirely wrong, though, I have always tried very hard to keep my personal life separate from my work, but the attraction with this one was just too strong to ignore or resist for long.“

“I suppose it is to be expected you would employ such subterfuge, given your fondness for decoys,” Dod remarked disdainfully, a backhanded reminder of the failed occupation and some of the more publicized assassination attempts that had been made against her over the years.

“Well, I certainly don’t need to unnecessarily endanger my companions now, not when I trust Lord Vader so completely with my safety.” Dear Shiraya, she was laying it on thick. But hopefully, it was working.

> Vader almost laughed at the woman’s fear and then widened his eyes in surprise as she completely sold their romance. He let her take it all in stride, standing up for herself and for them. “We are very private, we don’t need to splash our affairs in the Holonet like some of you,” he said bluntly, because honestly, some of these Senators were less than respectable. “Don’t take the Senator the wrong way, Padmé, she’s just jealous I didn’t give in to any of her advances,” he said placing his hand on hers and for the first time, he called her by the first name.
> 
> The other woman blushed red as everyone turned to look at her a funny way. “My Lord, I never…I…”
> 
> “Please, don’t embarrass yourself,” he muttered annoyed. “We should be greeting our other guests, Padmé,” Vader turned to head another direction. “There are more people that actually wish to congratulate us,” he smiled coldly at the small group, before tugging the Senator to another direction.

Hearing her name from his lips was… disorienting. Mostly because it was unexpected, but also because he sounded unexpectedly tender. Vader had never called her by name before, and she’d wondered if he even knew it. It also made her wish she knew what his real name was, she still didn’t believe it was Vader.

People’s faces started to blur together as they passed by to offer congratulations, and Padmé managed to keep smiling and saying thank you in between sips of the toniray one of the servers had provided her. Nothing quelled pregnancy rumors faster than a woman drinking. And she took a large swallow as she saw Bail Organa approaching. “You have my best wishes, Padmé,” the Viceroy told her kindly before looking at Vader with far more formality. “And it seems you have the envy of the galaxy, Lord Vader. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Bail. I hope Breha can find the time to make it to the wedding, you know I consider you both very dear friends.”

“She told me to send you her love, but unfortunately, she has duties on Alderaan that cannot be avoided or delayed.” Alliance business, Padmé suspected. So began her true isolation, with her enemies thinking her a power hungry whore and her friends afraid to trust her. _Damn you, Vader._  

> Vader was getting sick of everything. He didn’t like public events, they were hopeless and he knew people only responded to the Emperor’s invite because they were afraid of what would happen if they didn’t, and some of them just wanted the gossip.
> 
> Bail Organa. A Senator that Vader believed was part of the Rebel Alliance but couldn’t prove. Yet. No worries, while the Senator kept his head low and didn’t raise too many waves, Vader would just keep him under observation.
> 
> “I am, Senator Organa, I know. Truly, I am very lucky,” Vader cooed. “Don’t you think she’ll make a great Empress one day?” There was nothing wrong with putting this idea on anyone’s head from the start. “She’ll be missed,” he added when Bail talked about his wife not being able to be present.
> 
> Vader felt a wave of hatred coming from his bride but he smothered it down before Sidious even realized what was happening. “We should retire,” he told her seriously after Bail was gone. “You are getting drunk and well, I can’t have you lose your posture.”

“I am not drunk,” she said indignantly, setting down her empty glass, “and the night is young. You haven’t even asked me to dance. Or is that the real reason why you’ve never taken me out anywhere before now?” The last sentence was a teasing remark meant to fuel the secret romance idea for one of the reporters she could see leaning towards them without any kind of subtlety.

“It’s my engagement party, I want to dance with my betrothed. Please, my love?” she asked, pouting at him sweetly. “It would mean so much to me.” 

> Vader’s nostrils flared in annoyance at her defiance. Dance? Was she…was she serious? Vader had to give it to this woman, she knew how to play her part. Politicians were all good actors and knew how to sell something, Padmé Amidala was no exception. “You were very serious about your secret rule, My Lady, I never wanted to impose,” he said for the benefit of the nosey reporter behind him.
> 
> He sighed. He hated dancing. Of course he knew how to, he just preferred not to do it. When the words ‘my love’ left her lips, he faltered. He would never admit it, not even under torture, that it turned his stomach into knots as his eyes widened. “Alright, my love, the things I do for you,” he returned the pet name lovingly, but with eyes hard as stone, pulling her towards the dance floor, making sure there was no space left between their bodies.
> 
> “One dance, Senator, and we are leaving. You have put on a nice show,” he kissed her cheek. “It actually makes me think you can survive all of this.”

“I’ll expect more than one next time,” she warned as they moved onto the dance floor and the musicians began the next song. “I know you’re not exactly one for traditions, but there is usually dancing at a wedding.”

She thought she’d heard something change in his voice, or seen it in his features when he echoed the term of endearment she’d used, but it must have been her imagination. He looked the same as ever. Maybe she _was_ drunk.

“I’ve been involved in politics since I was eight. And surviving since I was fourteen and Senator Dod’s friend Nute Gunray led his invasion of my home. I can handle a gala evening with the press in my sleep.” The kiss he pressed to her cheek felt like a brand burnt onto her skin, a sign flashing to the world, and in particular, the Senator from Scipio who was watching both of them intently. “I’m not entirely sure I object to leaving, actually. I didn’t sleep last night and I should be well-rested for the wedding.” 

> Vader rolled his eyes. “Of course we will dance at the wedding. I didn’t know, however, how fond you were of this activity, My Lady, I would have asked you to dance in previous events,” he commented with a feral grin. “Then again, the Senator of Scipio was always more than ready to spin you around the dance floor.”
> 
> It was true. If there was something this woman was used to, was handling herself under pressure without losing her posture. Something very honorable, not all were able to. “Well, I am glad you find this rather easy. I hope at the wedding you can have the same mentality. Your family will be watching. I will be convinced when they are,” he said dryly.
> 
> His nature was a possessive one, everyone around him knew this. So, it was only natural that he was displeased at Senator Clovis’ burning gaze on him and Padmé. The man was insufferable and Vader would be more than happy than to make him disappear, however, it would create some friction with his bride and he needed to find a way around bluntly snapping Clovis’ neck.
> 
> “You don’t have to lose sleep on my account, Senator,” Vader laughed darkly. “I promise I’ll be good.”
> 
> The music stopped and after a brief applause to the band, Vader offered his arm to Padmé. “Shall we? I will escort you to your room. I wouldn’t want you to be bothered,” his dark yellow eyes flashed dangerously to the Senator of Scipio who was easily getting on his nerves.

The mention of her family made Padmé cringe. She’d sent a message through the official channels with the barest bones of information to her family about her impending nuptials. The ‘truth’ she was reserving for a securely encrypted message that she’d send them privately, just in case things were compromised.

“I’m not bothered,” she lied as they started their retreat, trying not to think about her former suitor still watching them. Rush, please, just go… “The thought just crossed my mind that there are some things in my office in the Senate that only I can get to. The safe’s coded to my biometrics.”

That was true at least. None of it was incriminating, thankfully, but it was still nothing she wanted left behind to be used against her. “You’d trust Fives and Echo to escort me there tomorrow, don’t you? I’d hate to make you take time out of your schedule, I know how hard you work, and how much there is to do.”

She hoped that he would say yes, but at the same time, she didn’t want him to. If he came with her, his imposing presence would afford her some protection against the hateful things people were saying about her, but it would also serve as a further reminder that she effectively belonged to him now. _Vader’s pet. Vader’s slut. Vader’s toy._  

> “I’m sure you are used to the attention,” he said dryly, tugging her away. “Well, I won’t be able to escort you, since I have some business to handle with the Emperor, but Fives and Echo are more than capable of protecting you. They have their orders and I trust them to follow them,” Vader nodded. “Don’t try anything foolish, My Lady,” he warned in a much harsher tone. “Contacting the Rebel Alliance, or trying to give them any kind of message, will end very badly for you.”
> 
> Vader felt her frustration, her anguish at what her life has become, but it was always better than to have died. Sidious sent him to her apartment to kill her. Padmé ought to be thanking him for still breathing.
> 
> At her door, her handmaidens were waiting for her. They bowed before him and he nodded at them. “Well, My Lady, it was a wonderful evening. I believe we will have many more after this,” he took her gloved hand and kissed her leather covered knuckle. “Much more interesting after we are wedded, of course,” his eyes were lustful and his smile, determined.
> 
> _You are mine, Senator. You will be all mine._

“You have my entire family hostage, I am not about to jeopardize their safety,” Padmé reminded him coldly. “I just want my possessions cleared out before my replacement arrives.”

The look in his eyes, the utter arrogance of it all was absolutely repugnant, but all she said was, “Goodnight, my lord.” She refused to give him the pleasure of seeing a reaction or even acknowledge his lewd insinuations before she pulled her hand away and closed the door directly in his face.

“My lady, are you sure it’s wise to speak to him like that?” Dormé asked worriedly as she and Sabé started helping her undress and remove her makeup. “He’s the second most powerful man in the Empire, and he’ll be your husband in four days.”

“I don’t care, I’m not letting him break me,” Padmé answered, pulling the silver crown from her hair and angrily flinging it across the room. “Either of them. I refuse. He can make me marry him, he can make me play along, but he cannot break me. We should all go to bed, tomorrow we’re going to the Senate to get my things from my office.”

Dormé and Sabé exchanged glances before nodding and leaving the bedroom. And even after she’d gotten into bed, she sat stewing in her hatred for him until sleep finally claimed her. 

> Vader laughed as she closed the door on him. Now, she treated him like this. After, he was sure she was going to change her mind about sharing his bed. While the Senator was busy, thinking of ways to hate him more, to escape her fate, Vader was occupying himself with his plans. After they were married, the weeks that followed would be crucial. There was a honeymoon period, which they would spend far away from Coruscant.
> 
> Aware that the Emperor desired that alone time to conduct his own plans, Vader was going to let them happen. Everything was set to failure, a couple of victories for the Rebels, but he wouldn’t mind. He would balance things when he got to the throne. When they came back from their first weeks as a married couple, the final blow would be delivered. The Emperor had brought too much misery and war to this Galaxy and Vader wanted to balance it. And having the power all to himself wasn’t so bad either.
> 
> “Five, Echo, tomorrow the Senator will head to her office to gather her things. Pay attention to who comes to her. You know what to do if her safety or our marriage is threatened,” he ordered at both soldiers who nodded. “Pay close attention to Senator Clovis, please, he’s getting on my nerves.”
> 
> _One wrong move, Rush Clovis, and you are destroyed._


	3. Agitation

When Padmé awoke, she was relieved to see that Palpatine hadn’t commissioned any more odious looking dresses for her, and chose one of the simpler gowns in her own wardrobe, and called Dormé and Sabé in to help her dress and see about breakfast. Once all that was taken care of, she opened the door to find Fives and Echo waiting for her.

“Milady.” They bowed in unison, escorting her out of the palace and into the same speeder that had whisked her away from 500 Republica the day before. It was becoming increasingly clear that there was no aspect of her life to be left unregulated. Once he’d married her, Vader would probably assume even more control, dictating what she wore (if anything), when she would eat and sleep (if he’d even let her sleep), who she could speak to… “We’re here, milady,” Echo said, interrupting her rambling thoughts.

“Oh… Yes, thank you.” She accepted his help with as much grace as she could manage. It wasn’t any fault of the clones that they served Vader. She stopped them when they reached the door of her office. “I’d like to go in alone, if you don’t mind. It’s a sentimental thing.”

The two of them exchanged glances, clearly frowning beneath their helmets. “Lord Vader told us to keep you safe, milady.”

“This is the only door into my office, and you won’t be that far from me. If Lord Vader has a problem with it, he can take it up with me this evening,” Padmé told them patiently. “I’m just going to get a few things; if I need help, I’ll call for you.” She stepped into the office without waiting for their response, closing the door behind her with the intention of going to the safe when an arm wrapped around her waist and a hand covered her mouth. Looking to the wall of glass, she saw the reflections of herself and— “Clovis?” she gasped, her voice muffled beneath his hand.

Clovis released Padmé slowly. “Yes, I had to speak with you and I knew you had to come to your office sooner or later. When I saw the Imps bringing you to the Senate, I rushed here,” he sighed, turning the brunette to him and squeezing her shoulders. “What did he do to you? Vader…I know you, Padmé, I know you don’t want to be with him. Last night didn’t convince me you were star-crossed lovers. It convinced me you were his prisoner,” he brought her closer to him.

“Let me help you. We can run away together. I have the means to take you out of Coruscant and to hide you. We can stay together until this all blows over. Vader will find someone else to entertain him, but I can’t let him use you.”

> Outside, the two clones watched the door intently. “Fives, do you hear someone inside talking?” Echo turned to his colleague.
> 
> “It’s a loud hallway. But the Senator is alone,” Fives frowned underneath his helmet.
> 
> “She didn’t even allow us to secure her office before she went in,” Echo sighed, his shoulders dropping. “Lord Vader will have our heads for that.”

Padmé stepped away, her heart pounding. “Clovis, I am telling you this because you are my friend, stay away from me.” She saw his face fall at the use of the word friend. “I’ve done what I can, but Vader will have no qualms about killing you if he finds out you were here. There are two of his personal troopers outside this room right now, they could shoot you down in an instant. And regardless of what you think you saw last night, the fact remains, I’ve made my decision, and I am going through with this marriage.”

“You can’t mean that. I’ll talk to the Emperor, I can find leverage to convince him—”

“Clovis, no.” she insisted, trying to move away from him. “Please, just wait until I’ve left with my things, then get out of here. Don’t come near me again, for your own safety.”

“Padmé, how can you talk that way when you know I love you?” His grip tightened as he pulled her closer, an angry gleam in his eyes. For a moment, she was reminded of Vader’s predatory advances to such a degree that she pushed him away purely on instinct, shouting as she did so.

 **_“I said no!”_**  

> Both Echo and Fives heard her shout and leaped into action, kicking the door open, with their blasters on point, straight at Clovis. “Get down, Senator Clovis, and away from Lady Amidala,” Fives growled. They were getting in trouble for this! They should have cleared the room before she entered. Lord Vader wouldn’t be very forgiving for this breach of security.
> 
> Echo went for Padmé and stood protectively at her front. “Are you alright, My Lady?” He was almost out of breath, with the thought of what Lord Vader might react. “Senator Clovis, you are under arrest for breaking and entering the Senator’s office and for attacking Lord Vader’s betrothed, committing treason.”
> 
> “That’s insane, I didn’t attack Padmé,” Clovis insisted. “You have no reasons to try me.”
> 
> There won’t be a trial, Echo thought with a sigh. Lord Vader would not be merciful towards him. He had actually been waiting for an opening.
> 
> “Padmé, tell them,” Clovis narrowed his eyes at the brunette, searching for some kind of support, or defense.
> 
> “Do not speak with the Senator,” Fives warned. “Echo, stay with the Senator while I escort Senator Clovis to Lord Vader.”

“I’m not hurt…” Padmé answered the clone dazedly. Everything had happened so fast…

She couldn’t look Clovis in the eye, she knew he was doomed now, and there was nothing she could do. If she pleaded for his life, it would only enrage Vader further. Why could you not just listen to me, Rush, why? “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But you shouldn’t have come here. And you should have heeded my warnings.”

“Padmé, please,” he begged as Fives cuffed him. “Please, don’t let them do this, it’s all been for you, for us—”

“There isn’t an us.” That part was unequivocally true. Whatever fondness she’d held for him in friendship or otherwise was gone now, all she could see were the parts of him like Vader. The entitlement he seemed to feel he had for her. The arrogance that went with it. And she might have pitied him and mourned the senseless loss that his life would be, but she couldn’t find it in herself to feel true sorrow. If things had gone differently, she probably would have ended things at some point regardless, once she saw these kinds of behaviors manifesting.

_Goodbye, Rush._

* * *

 The sound of Rush Clovis’ neck snapping was the most gratifying thing Vader had heard all day. When Fives dragged the Senator inside his office and explained what happened, Vader had seen red. How dare this insignificant little man think that he could steal his bride? He had told Fives to get the hell out and back to Padmé’s detail and that he would deal with him and Echo later.

As he told other clones to get rid of the body and inform whoever they had to about his death, he rushed out of his office, and to his quarters at the Palace. In front of Padmé’s door, Echo and Fives stood a little straighter when they saw him, yellow eyes blazing.

“Get inside,” he ordered with a hiss.

The two clones entered and he followed them. He told Padmé’s handmaidens to leave and then he was left alone with his troops and his future wife.

“Rush Clovis is dead,” he announced coldly. “This is what happens when someone crosses me, Senator Amidala,” Vader took one menacing step forward. “Your friend is an example. Let’s all hope he’s the only one. Now you two,” he barked at the clones. “What kind of safety measures did you had in place that allowed that man to get past you?” 

> “My lord—” Padmé took a step forward, using what little of her body there was to act as a barrier between him and the two troopers. “It’s not their fault. Clovis was already in my office when we arrived and in my arrogance, I didn’t allow them to secure the area first. I’m the one who should be punished for this negligence, not them.”
> 
> _And I’m counting on the fact that you won’t punish me as long as you desire me. I’m counting on you to have enough honor not to break the deal we made and hurt my family in retaliation._ “They tried to argue with me, but I didn’t listen, and, as far as I can tell, they did not want to invoke your wrath by handling me improperly in some way. Please, I beg of you, let the blame fall on me, not them.”

Vader carefully observed her. The two clones behind her were completely baffled and surprised at how she defended them. Vader could respect her and he actually believed that that was what happened. He frowned. “I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on them, you are a feisty little thing,” Vader sighed, running one of his gloved hands through his hair, messing up the curls even further.

“Fives, Echo, you are off the hook. This time. No matter how much she argues next time, or if you have to hold her down, kicking and screaming, all the security measures are to be respected, are we clear?”

“Yes, sir!” Both clones saluted and went back to their stations. They intended to thank Senator Amidala when Lord Vader wasn’t around.

Alone, Vader faced Padmé. “That was courageous of you. To defend them. However, it is your fault,” he smirked at her. “What am I going to do with you, My Lady?” Vader chuckled. “The infinite possibilities that are crossing my mind have to wait until we are wedded. I wouldn’t want you to lose your honor so close to the wedding.”

But there are other ways to show her, to make her feel, to make her crazy with need. Vader smiled secretively. “I am letting you rest, My Lady. You had a complicated day,” he whispered and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow at breakfast.”

Then, he left. Knowing exactly what dream Padmé Amidala was having tonight. 

> When Padmé returned to her rooms, Dormé and Sabé were waiting, immediately assailing her with questions about what had passed in the Senate. “I don’t want to talk about it, I just want to rest,” she interrupted. “Take the night off, I can take care of myself for the evening. Just don’t talk to anyone about what happened today. Please.” Though there were some furtive looks between the two handmaidens, they helped her change into a nightgown and left her to get an early night’s sleep.
> 
> The sleep that came, however, could not be called peaceful by any means. She dreamt of the Naboo gardens and being there with… Vader. His hood was down and for once, he seemed to be smiling without malice. And they were… laughing. And talking without being at each other’s throats. _“You’re making fun of me,” she heard herself say._
> 
> _“Oh, no, I’d be much too frightened to tease a Senator,” he retorted with a playful smile and she shrieked, pushing him with such force that the two of them started rolling through the grass until he had her pinned beneath him. “But I’m not afraid to do this to a Senator.”_
> 
> _One of his hands went up her skirts and she muffled a shriek as she realized she wasn’t wearing underclothes in this dream, giving his fingers the access they needed to prod and tease at her clit. The other hand circled around her waist, lifting her up so that he could press their mouths together in a slow, searing kiss. There was a warmth spreading in her stomach, no, lower than her stomach, and—_
> 
> It was then that she awoke. And the feeling had not dissipated with the dream.


	4. Escalation

It was early in the morning that Fives knocked on Senator Amidala’s door. Dormé opened it. “Good morning, Lady Dormé. Lord Vader is requesting the Senator’s presence in the Gardens for breakfast. Is she ready? He shouldn’t be kept waiting…”

“Almost. I will let her know,” Dormé nodded and after Fives nodding, Dormé went back inside. “My Lady, Lord Vader wishes to have breakfast with you in the Gardens,” she said as she helped Padmé finish her hair. “If I may, you look tired, My Lady. Didn’t you rest?” The handmaiden asked curiously, looking at the Senator through the vanity mirror.

“I don’t want to talk about it!” Padmé snapped, uncharacteristically short-tempered due to a lack of completion. Dormé frowned, but let her mistress go, knowing that it would not do to keep Vader waiting much longer. 

> Vader sat at one of the tables set in the Garden. With him, there was only his Captain, Rex, and Commander, Cody, who stood watchfully at the entrance of the Gardens. He was reading a briefing report on his datapad while he waited for his future wife to appear. Vader’s lips quirked upwards as he thought about the dreams the Senator had this night. While they are not wedded, there are other forms to tease her and project his own fantasies into her dreams, seemed like the good way to go.
> 
> Tonight, the fantasy hadn’t gone too far. It would escalate the next night, then the other one, until the wedding night. Padmé Amidala had no idea what would expect her. Vader knew what she thought of him. A heartless beast, who probably only wanted to bed her. She was naive. If she only realized how important she was and what Vader had planned for them, besides bedding her…well, she probably wouldn’t react very well. One thing at a time.
> 
> “Senator,” He greeted her, raising to his feet, to be able to pull her chair for her. “You look tired,” he noticed. “Was your night restless?” If he knew her well, she would never admit it, not even under torture, what her dreams were about.

The former queen could not look Vader in the eyes as she sat, choosing instead to glare down at the spread that had been assembled for breakfast. “I slept,” she replied icily, picking up one of the bread rolls and cutting it open. “Can you blame me if it wasn’t very fulfilling, given how troubling yesterday was?”

Some parts of what Clovis had said the day before were still niggling at her brain. _You can’t mean that. I’ll talk to the Emperor, I can find leverage to convince him—  Please, don’t let them do this, it’s all been for you, for us—_ It couldn’t have meant…. and yet it made sense…

“I don’t suppose it was actually Clovis who sold me out to the Emperor?” she asked. “Possibly because he had the same kind of plan that you ended up implementing?” She didn’t want to believe it was true, but the words just weren’t sitting well with her and she needed to think about something other than the release she’d been denied the previous night. 

> “Well, given your humor this morning, I don’t believe your sleep worked very much tonight,” Vader replied, amused as he sat in front of her at the table. Was he having fun? Of course. Padmé wasn’t angry or annoyed, she was sexually frustrated and he would keep her that way until the right moment. He would keep giving her the fantasy and he would keep ending it before she could get any form of gratification. Did it affect him? Yes. Of course. But he was experienced and knew how to take a cold shower in the morning. The Senator, however, was very new to these intimacies, unable to control her most primal urge.
> 
> At her question about the traitor, he paused. He could use this suspicion in his favor. Her real traitor had been Panaka of her personal security, but maybe placing Clovis as his associate was not a bad idea. It would give him leverage and it would hurt her trust with the rebels. “I’ve warned you before. About the people that you’ve trusted,” Vader shrugged. “You have people around you that don’t care as much as you. Your handmaidens are not the case. They’re very loyal,” he observed. He had read their Force signatures, he knew they would stand by their Mistress’ side. “Haven’t you wondered where Panaka is? Why Clovis was so desperate yesterday? You’re not that naïve, My Lady.”

“I had assumed the Queen recalled them to serve my replacement in the Senate and they were in the process of selecting their own successors to come here,” Padmé shot back, crossing her arms, “since retaining two Naboo security officers was a part of our agreement. And your allegations against Captain Panaka are absolutely absurd, he’s served the Royal House of Naboo for years, and he’s practically been a second father to me. He would have nothing to gain but disgrace in our home if he betrayed me in such a way, whereas Clovis would have benefitted exactly as you are benefiting now.”

Her fingers tightened around the knife she was using. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. You’re just trying to isolate me further by making me distrust my aides. It won’t work. And you can call it naïveté, I call it faith. Not everyone is as selfish as you and Sheev are.” 

> “You’re making me do this,” Vader sighed and grabbed his datapad again. He turned the datapad towards Padmé and clicked on play. The holovideo footage of Panaka’s betrayal started to play. “Every man can be bought. Sidious knows who to buy and what’s their price,” he explained while the holovideo played. “He didn’t hesitate to sell you out as a Rebel to the Emperor. Captain Typho went back to Naboo, yes. His feelings for you would make him very hard to control, so the Queen took him back.”
> 
> “Sidious and I are very different and with time, you’ll realize that,” Vader said simply as the holo ended and he took the datapad back. “I don’t want to isolate you. If I did, your handmaidens would be on the first ship to Naboo. Think what you want. I’m not the monster of this Empire.”
> 
> Vader’s comm beeped and he sighed, silencing it. “You should see about your wedding dress and other preparations with your handmaidens. It’s your day, you should have it your way. There are enough people in this Palace to put it all together. I trust your good taste,” he rose from the table. “Tonight I want you to join me for dinner at my office. I would like to give you one of my wedding gifts.”

Padmé didn’t want to believe it, but it was right there in front of her eyes. Footage can be altered, she tried to reason with herself. But there were no seams in the holo, nothing to suggest spliced feed. And Typho with feelings for her? Much as she tried to refute it with her knowledge of the man, the more she thought about it, the more Vader’s claims seemed legitimate. The poor man…. at least he would be safe on Naboo, away from Vader’s wrath.

What made the least sense, however, was that Vader was betraying Palp— Sidious to tell her this, surely it would benefit the Emperor to keep Padmé ignorant of her betrayers so that she would continue trusting them. She wondered if the protestations about disliking politics were to hide his own political ambitions if he had a far greater plan than he was letting on… The comm interrupted her thoughts and she returned her attention to the conversation at hand.

 _My way was a private ceremony with a man I love at home on Naboo, at sunset on the lake,_ she wanted to scream, _and my way would never, ever involve you._ But she merely nodded, resuming her breakfast. “Very well, then my lord, I will see you this evening then.”

She visited her usual seamstress with Dormé, Fives and Echo, Sabé having elected to stay behind to handle other aspects of the arrangements. Fittings took hours, so many that they ended up missing lunch, and by the time, they finally left, Padmé was hungry, in a foul mood, and still fixating on her dream the night before. It was in this disgruntled state that she arrived in Vader’s office, wearing one of her most conservative ensembles, a high-necked gown of black velvet and gray silk with intricate embroidery and her hair pulled into oblong twin buns to accent the triangular silver headpiece. “My lord?”

> “This is so exciting, Master Ani,” C-3PO gushed as Vader gave him his last fixes. Vader sighed. “I am incredibly honored to be given to Lady Amidala,” the droid went on with his excited voice. “I’ve heard wonderful things about her.”
> 
> Vader was so happy he had programmed Threepio to only call him Master Ani in private. Since Threepio had been the droid he had built to his Mom when he was nine, he had called him Master Ani since he could remember. No one else did or would ever do. Ani was the nickname his Mother used for him. Threepio was the only thing that remembered her too, so he let the nickname stay. He hoped he didn’t regret it later.
> 
> “I’m sure you’ll be your usual chatty self,” Vader snorted. The droid could speak someone’s ear off. “Just remember your protocols.”
> 
> “Why, of course, Master Ani,” Threepio nodded.
> 
> “There. All fixed. How do you feel?” Vader stepped back and placed his tools in a drawer. Threepio had always been in his quarters only. Serving him and sometimes, being his only company. He was giving him to Padmé as a wedding gift as he knew it would be helpful to her.
> 
> “Amazing, Master Ani, thank you very much.”
> 
> Vader managed the tiniest of smiles. He looked at his hands. Without gloves and given the fact that he had tinkered with his ship’s motor and now Threepio, he had grease stains and Padmé would be here for dinner. She arrived when he was in the bathroom, finishing switching his oil-dirty shirt for a black dress shirt with a black leather vest.
> 
> There was a table set by his windows. His office had a panoramic view of Coruscant, since one of the halls was completely made of glass. The city never slept and it was full of blinking lights. The illumination in his office was already low.
> 
> “My Lady, thank you for coming,” he grinned. “May I introduce you to Threepio, your wedding gift?”
> 
> “Oh, Lady Amidala, what a pleasure it is to meet you. Lord Vader has talked about you. I am so excited to be able to serve you.”

Padmé raised an eyebrow at the golden protocol droid. She’d been expecting some kind of gaudy jewelry or other display of his station, not something that was genuinely practical. “Thank you, my lord, he’s very impressive,” she said politely. “But what do you intend him to do? Our betrothal has marked my retirement from the Senate, after all, and you’ve been very vague on what my duties as your wife will be.”

“I can assure you, my lady, I am fluent in over six million forms of communication, and can readily serve you in whatever capacity you may require,” the droid said somewhat indignantly, and a tiny smile of amusement tugged at Padmé’s lips.

“I’m sure you work beautifully, Threepio, but that doesn’t exactly answer my question for Lord Vader,” she told him kindly before returning her attention to her betrothed. “Well, my lord? Shall we discuss that over dinner?” 

> Vader raised his eyebrows at the Senator. “Yes,” he waved at the table. “Threepio, you can serve dinner, please,” he turned to the droid as he pulled the chair for Padmé to sit. With a ‘certainly Lord Vader’, Threepio was on his way. _See? I can be a gentleman._ “My Lady?” He urged.
> 
> Sitting on the opposite side of her, he placed the napkin on his lap and leaned back, intertwining his fingers he gave his future wife a half-smile. “I can assure you I don’t want a housewife, My Lady,” he started. “As my wife, you’ll have a few political duties to support me. Nothing very extreme, I can promise you that. But the future will tell. Who knows… one day, you might have a more interesting job description,” he lifted his shoulders.
> 
> “Why reveal everything tonight? The mystery of it all it’s so exciting, don’t you agree?”

“Empress?” Padmé suggested sharply, choosing to forgo any kind of subtlety or games. She’d lost any patience for them with him that she might have had, to begin with. “Might that be the more interesting job description you have in mind?”

“Oh, my lady, you mustn’t say such things, we must all hope the Emperor lives a long and healthy life!” Threepio interrupted in a rather panicky way that made Padmé look at her fiancé with further curiosity.

“Well, that’s a defense mechanism if ever I saw one. He’s certainly eccentric about all this… and in general. He almost reminds me of this little astromech I had while I was queen…” She let her mind wander for a moment in the memory of a happier time. “Little R2-D2… just as fussy.”

Unfortunately, reality set back in a moment later. “I’ve never been one for mysteries. I find them annoying more than anything else. Perhaps because honesty is a virtue that I prize highly.” 

> Wasn’t she the smart little thing? Yes, she was, that’s why he had chosen her. “Would that be so bad for you? Being Empress?” He retorted, amused.
> 
> “Threepio, thank you,” Vader said sharply as the droid finished serving them dinner, this droid was going to give him more trouble if he didn’t shut up. Threepio seemed to take his cue and went to the back of the office, quiet, waiting to be needed again. “He’s special,” he nodded. “Oh, an R2 unit?” He has been looking for one of those forever. “You shall ask the Queen to bring him, I would certainly love to meet him and maybe he could be a good company for Threepio.”
> 
> “Honesty is so overrated, My Lady,” Vader replied with a cold smile. “Maybe we can agree on something, the both of us. The Emperor’s reign has brought the Galaxy a ton of suffering. You might think of me as his lapdog that only does his bidding, but believe me, My Lady, I am more than a pretty face that wields a lightsaber in favor of His Majesty,” he explained as he started on his dinner.
> 
> “Like me, there are other who are fighting for a change in power and maybe that won’t be so bad. While I’m sure all of us hope that the Emperor lives a long and healthy life,” _not_ , he completed in his brain, his voice completely empty, “we cannot change the fact that the Galaxy needs something else.”

Padmé pursed her lips, almost giggling at the thought of Artoo meeting Vader, and choosing to shock him when the Sith got too close. The little droid had been a very good judge of character. “If that’s really what you want, my lord, then I suppose I shall. But you cannot say I didn’t warn you about his eccentricities and his temperament.” She was not about to let him dismantle that poor little astromech.

“The difference in what we believe it is the Galaxy needs for that change,” she reminded him bluntly. “As far as I’ve seen, you and the Emperor are cut from a very similar cloth. You like having control just as much as he does. Perhaps even more given how much you’re chafing at the leash he keeps you on.”

She took a long drink of the wine that Threepio had poured for them— she had a feeling she was going to need it. “I’m curious, my lord, do you know why the Naboo elect young children to serve as the monarch of an entire world? Or was that part of your education overlooked?” 

> “Don’t worry, My Lady, I know how to speak droid,” his yellow eyes were as amused as her brown ones as he chewed on his food in a relaxed manner.
> 
> “Appearances can be deceiving. Just because we are both Sith, it doesn’t mean we both believe or want the same things. The Emperor raised me, always with his ideals in mind. He thought he would be able to manipulate my actions forever, however, that is not true. Exhibit number one is sitting in front of me right now,” he smirked, looking at her.
> 
> Vader shrugged. “Enlighten me, your Highness.”

“It is because children, by virtue of their innocence in the ways of the world, have pure intentions at heart. Their advisors have the experience to offer them counsel, but a child’s heart will not be corrupted by selfish ambitions. They know only to do what is best for all.” Her back straightened in a sense of pride for her homeworld. “The emperor might have forgotten his heritage, but I have not, nor will I ever.”

She couldn’t hide her deepening frown at his words, “Enlighten _me_ , then, my lord. What is it you want that he does not?” 

> “That’s a nice sentiment. I praise Naboo for their teachings and for their decisions, however, putting that amount of responsibility in a little girl’s shoulders? You are handing a twelve-year-old the weight of an entire planet. Millions of lives are in your hands when you should be out in the fields, playing with your brothers and sisters,” Vader retorted.
> 
> Vader played with the glass of red wine in his hands, before he looked out of his windows, watching the entire city beneath him. It was a breathtaking sight. “I want stability. The Emperor is creating too many wars, too many conflicts. Innocent people are dying and slavery is growing in several systems. He likes chaos. I enjoy peace,” he sipped his wine. “I may be twisted, Senator, but I realize what it’s best for the Galaxy. I am a Sith, yes, but that doesn’t automatically mean I will be a tyrant. I enjoy the power the Force gives me and I will enjoy taking the throne, but my goal is not to disrupt the peace any more than Sidious has done. Believe it or not, My Lady, I want to restore it.”
> 
> Finishing his wine, he stood and walked closer to the glass, turned to the city. “Eventually, the people of this Galaxy will realize who is truly on their side and make the right choice. They will follow those who’ll provide them shelter and safety. My Galaxy. Under my protection. That’s all I want. Of course, the rebels are an issue we will have to solve and there will always the opposition but we’ll handle it.”

“I was fourteen when I first became Queen, not twelve,” she corrected irritably. “And I wasn’t without friends, I had my handmaidens.”

Hypothetically, she could almost agree with everything he was saying, but she could not silence the loyalty of democracy that had been bred in her. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe opposition isn’t something that needs to be crushed? That the Alliance might disband peacefully if they felt their objections were being heard? Even if you do not plan on being a tyrant, Emperor is still merely another word for dictator.”

> Vader snorted. “The Alliance causes so many riffs throughout the Galaxy and they say they want peace? You think the Jedi and the Sith are any different, My Lady? The only thing that makes us different is the color of our lightsaber. Jedi are coward who hid behind the farce of ‘compassion’ when in all honestly, they are creatures who are not allowed to love, not allowed to have attachments, not allowed to think about anything else then their precious Order. Old fools who think time should stand still. Do you wonder why so many Jedi fall to the Dark Side? Or simply just…quit? It’s an unbearable way of life,” he discoursed.
> 
> “People say Sith do not know love, they are not encouraged to feel it. Maybe that’s true. But the Jedi do not feel it either, so what’s the difference? While us, Sith, use the entire power the Force can give us, the Jedi believe that only the Light side will help them and Force be with them, they will always lose,” he laughed coldly.
> 
> Vader turned to the Senator. “The Rebels are not to be trusted, and one day you’ll give me a reason.”

“The Rebels are citizens of this galaxy as much as anyone else!” she protested, slamming her hands on the table and standing up to stare at him. Unfortunately, it didn’t make much of a difference, considering how petite she was compared to him. “They lash out and cause these ‘riffs’ because they feel it is the only way to make their voices heard, to make the galaxy a better place. Part of being a leader is not seeing those you lead only as subjects but as people!”

It was an impassioned little speech, one that would’ve gotten her executed if they had been anywhere else. And she was probably pushing her luck with Vader as it was. She would not bother trying to defend the Jedi she knew were hidden within the ranks of the alliance. Slowly, she gathered her breath, crafting an excuse as she sat back down.

“I apologize for my outburst, my lord, but I care deeply about all people living in this galaxy. Perhaps more energetically than the situation may call for at times.” 

> Vader quietly observed her outburst, blinking his dark yellow eyes at her words, unfazed. “Your passion is certainly strong,” he commented. “You are not the only one caring for the people living in this galaxy. But later, later you will realize the truth,” Vader nodded.
> 
> After dinner, Vader accompanied her to her room again. “I hope you have a good night’s rest, My Lady,” he said making a small bow. “I will see you tomorrow at breakfast,” then he turned on his heel, and left.
> 
> He had planned her dream that night, piece by piece, starting with that claustrophobic dress. As he reached his quarters and closed his doors, he went straight for the fresher and he laid underneath the hot water, as he focused on one thing only, her Force energy. He waited until she was asleep, and a smiled formed on his lips.
> 
> _In his office, with the lights off and the only thing that would cast a light on them was the lights of Coruscant that you could see through the glass, he slammed her against it, ripping her skirt, his hands – no gloves – ran up her tights until he pushed her up and made her wrap her slender legs around his waist. He worked on the bodice, making sure he could see more of her ivory skin. His lips hungrily devoured hers as his hands worked on making her undergarments disappear. His lips left her mouth and traveled down her neck, to her collarbone and towards her breasts. Rocking his hips against her, he showed just how much his body was craving hers. How much he couldn’t wait to be inside of her. Using the Force, he undid his belt and as his pants dropped lower, he rocked forth again, his lips finding this delicious spot on her neck…_
> 
> Vader gasped, opening his eyes and switching to freezing cold water the next second. He couldn’t wait until they were wedded. He couldn’t wait until she begged him to be underneath him, writhing and screaming his name…

Padmé shot up in her bed, breathless and covered in sweat. That was twice now she’d had such a dream… What was wrong with her? How could she possibly be having these kinds of dreams, about Vader of all people! He had absolutely nothing to recommend him! Even if he wasn’t as bad as Palpatine, he was still evil, still a Sith, she should feel nothing for him other than repulsion and fear.

She forced herself to get up out of bed and splash cold water on her face in an attempt to relieve herself. She refused to masturbate with that man still on her mind, whatever plans he had, she would not let herself have any kind of affection for him. This had to be from exhaustion, or stress, some kind of explanation that did not involve feelings for Vader.

“Is everything alright, my lady?” Sabé asked, the question making her mistress tense.

“Fine, fine,” she lied. “Just… pre-wedding nerves. Could you get me something to drink before I go back to bed?”

Sabé frowned, clearly not believing the protestations, but did as she was asked, getting Padmé a warm cup of tea before helping her back into bed. “Try to get some rest, my lady, you only have three days left before the wedding, after all.”

 _Don’t remind me,_ Padmé thought bitterly as she curled in on herself and slipped back into a fitful, anxiety ridden sleep.


	5. Confrontation

Vader was not having a good day. Not at all. It started by the morning briefing with the Emperor who had become more distrustful and today was probing his mind, trying to find out what was happening behind his back with his apprentice. Vader had grown smarter and built the invisible walls he needed in his mind. He was then sent to run errands. He would be gone for two days and he didn’t get the chance to warn his bride that he would only come back the night previous to their wedding.

Leaving her with Sidious was dangerous, Vader knew it, but it was a necessary evil. Sidious, however, was pleased that in change, he could speak with the Senator much more freely without Vader’s presence. He appeared without warning while she was having breakfast alone.

“Senator, could I join you?” He asked, sitting down at the table. Yellow eyes darkening as he faced Vader’s betrothed. His apprentice’s reasoning had made sense before but it left Sidious suspicious. “I regret to inform you that your fiancé has departed for a few days, but no worries, he’ll be back in time for the wedding,” he leaned back. “I promised him I would keep you company, my dear.”

> “That’s very generous of you,” Padmé said through a forced smile, “but I’m afraid I don’t have much time for socializing, Your Majesty, there’s still so much to be done before the wedding. I’m sure the business of the galaxy is far more important than the fittings for my wedding dress and figuring out decorations.”
> 
> “One of the perks of being the Emperor, my dear, is that if I want to delay something, I can. The Galaxy answers to me, and its business is resolved when I want it resolved,” Palpatine answered with a smirk.
> 
> “Are you sure there’s no chance he’ll be back before the wedding?” she asked, making her eyes widen. “I’ll miss him terribly, and we didn’t even get to say goodbye before he left.”
> 
> Sidious almost, _almost_ rolled his eyes at her love-stricken words. You know what they say about politicians, they need to be good actors and all the years Padmé Amidala spent on the throne and then on the Senate has made her a very good player. He didn’t truly believe that this woman was in love with Darth Vader. Not with her principles.
> 
> “No. No chance,” he declared coldly. “I am sure he was upset too,” Sidious said dryly. “However there are certain aspects of the Empire that Darth Vader needs to handle. Especially rebel bases that are a nuisance,” he smirked.

Sighing, Palpatine sat a little straighter on his chair. This was a conversation he wanted to have with Amidala for a while now and the fact that he was able to push Vader away from the planet for a few days, was a miracle. “My dear, I am going to be very straightforward with you. I do not believe for a moment that a woman such as yourself is involved with a Sith. I know you, Padmé. I know your principles. Marrying and sharing a bed with a manipulative and cold murderer was not at the top of your husband qualities, now was it?” 

> “I’m not the little girl I was when you knew me, Sheev,” she corrected defensively, crossing her arms. “The years since then have wiped any trace of that childish naïveté, and given me a certain disdain for the way politicians behave. Compared to the other men who have expressed an interest in me, Vader has been… refreshing might be the best word.”
> 
> She stood, pushing her chair back. “Maybe it’s simply been too long since you were our age, and you’ve forgotten what it means to be in love. It very often does not make sense, but when the attraction is there, it’s there. And… for whatever reason, fate has decided that my path and my heart belong with his.” She put as much passion into this little speech as she had the one to Vader the night before, looking him directly in the eye.
> 
> “I thought you would be happy for him, for us. Are we not a little family, after all?”

Sidious heard her protests and her adorable little speech that caused nausea to settled into his stomach. “I do not call you naive, my dear, but I do know you have principles and Lord Vader does not meet any of them,” he said with a cruel smile. “I’ve raised him and made him who he is. You do not have the faintest idea of the blood that taints his hands.”

The Sith did not back down at her stare. “Sith do not know love, Senator Amidala, and that is the reason that leads me to believe that there is something else to this ridiculous arrangement. Darth Vader does not have a heart. He does not love. He cannot. It is not in his nature,” he stood up as well, the Force swirling darkly around him. “That is a lovely fairy tale, but one that I’m afraid, is a made up lie you are selling very well.”

He gave her a side smile. “If you tell me the entire truth of your arrangement with Darth Vader, I will spare you and your family. I will talk to the Queen myself and explain the cruelty you were under and that you were not to blame for any actions. I can excuse anything by telling them he was using the Force to manipulate you. I can restore your dignity and your clean name. I can let you go. But if you keep lying to me, I will rip your family to shreds and you will be the last. You will watch as they die, slowly and painfully, before being granted death too. Think about it, my dear. If you confess, you are out of this Palace tomorrow.”

“I have an appointment with my seamstress, your majesty,” Padmé said, avoiding the question. “Much as your company has been fascinating, I really must go, time is of the essence on these things. Fives, Echo, please see that the speeder’s brought around. Because the truth is that I am marrying your apprentice because I want to marry your apprentice and threats are not going to stop me.“

Sidious watched her leave with pure hatred in his eyes. He knew he had hit a nerve, but soon, he would find out about the truth behind this ridiculous union. he had trained Vader far too powerful and now the young Sith was rebelling, but Sidious would put a stop to it. And soon. 

> Padmé rushed from the room, heart pounding. She needed to contact Vader, she needed to make sure her family was safe… What was she supposed to do now? Palpatine had no reason to comply with her wishes, her family was in danger! There had to be some means of communicating with him!
> 
> “Are you alright, my lady?” Fives asked. “Can we help at all?”
> 
> “I need you to get me a line to Vader if you can…. Please, Fives. I need to talk to him.”
> 
> Fives and Echo shared a look. They knew how to contact their General. They had secure lines they could use and the distress of the Senator, plus the unannounced visit of the Emperor to her, it made them think carefully about their answers.
> 
> “Very well, My Lady, we will handle it,” Fives nodded. “We will give you a comm so you can contact Lord Vader, but I advise you to keep your seamstress appointment and we’ll take care of the rest.”

Vader had been meditating in his private office of the ship before Rex knocked on the door and came in. “Sir, there’s an urgent call from Fives. He says that Lady Amidala's requesting to speak with you. Now,” raising his eyebrows Vader silently asked Rex to leave him as he made a connection to the private comm line. “Miss me already?” He spoke with a smirk. 

> “You might say that,” Padmé muttered through gritted teeth. Having returned from her fittings, she’d gotten C-3PO to let her use her fiancé’s office while she was making the call with Fives’ and Echo’s help. “I’m going to guess that you didn’t actually ask your master to keep me company in your absence, considering that he spent this morning trying to convince me to betray you and even threatening my family in the process. You said you’d keep them safe as long as I went along with your offer, and I’m holding you to that.”
> 
> She leaned against the desk, rubbing her pelvis against the edge in the hopes of feeling some relief. His voice was doing things to her that she had not expected, and she did not like what those things were!
> 
> “Please… they’re my family… I can’t lose them,” she begged softly.

At her words, Vader froze and his eyes narrowed. “No, I did not ask him anything of sorts,” he stated coldly. “Did he know?” Gritting his teeth, something in his office cracked before it broke completely. He took a calming breath. That old, lying and rotting corpse, he cursed internally. “And what have you told him?” he demanded, furious. “I am a man of my word, Senator. As long as you keep your part in this, your family will be protected. No harm will come to them as long as you and I remain on the same side,” he hissed.

Vader ran a gloved hand through his hair as he heard her begging. Family. Such a weakness. Having one meant having weak points where you could hit at any time and be a winner. He could feel the tension in her voice. The…the frustration he was causing her. Good. He needed her on the edge. He didn’t care if he drove her mad with desire or with need. Soon, she would be at his mercy and as long as she asked, he would give her the pleasure she wanted.

“You know, Senator,” he started, his voice dropping a few tones. “I really love to hear you beg,” Vader cooed. 

> “I haven’t told him anything other than what you wanted me to say… please… Vader, please,” she whispered hoarsely, fighting back tears. At this point, she was past caring about his arrogance and the way he manipulated her. “I cannot lose them, you promised they’d be safe, please, save them now, you have to stop him.”
> 
> She hated all of this, but what choice did she really have? Her sweet little nieces, innocent of any wrongdoing, her parents and sister who had had only ever loved her… none of them deserved to suffer for her mistakes.
> 
> “Please,” she said again. “I beg of you. I’ll do anything, just save them.”

“Good. Betrayal wouldn’t suit you, Senator,” he said pleased and the way she begged made him adjust his position. He couldn’t believe he had to wait for more three nights to have her. This was madness. He was Darth Vader, he should be able to get what he wanted and he wanted her. Before the wedding. “They’re safe. I promise you. I have sent a few troopers to protect them from afar and no bounty hunters will get close to them. I have given you my word and I don’t intend to break it,” Vader stated.

“Oh, you will do everything I want, Senator, I guarantee you that,” Vader vowed as all sorts of images flashed through his mind. “As long as you are by my side, there is nothing that can hurt your family. Not even the Emperor. He wouldn’t dare such a bold move and even if he did, my troops, my Commander, wouldn’t allow it. Contact them through a private line. You can use this one after we end this call. See for yourself that they are in good health.” 

> “Please hurry back, I…. I need you here. I’m afraid,” she whispered earnestly. “Being here alone with him is terrifying.” With that, she cut transmission so that he wouldn’t have the chance to gloat and reached out to contact her parents.
> 
> They were fine, just as Vader had promised, but the sense of foreboding and dread did not recede once the entire time that her betrothed was gone. Palpatine made his presence nigh inescapable, the unspoken threat that came with it always perfectly clear. To add insult to injury, he did not allow her to have her family visit once in that time, in spite of every marriage tradition of the Naboo.
> 
> Then the day before the wedding, Echo had let her know that Vader’s ship had returned to Coruscant and that he was en route to the Palace. And to her own surprise, she actually rushed out to greet him at the gates, passing the Emperor by in the process. “You’re back,” she blurted in relief. “I’m glad….”

Vader didn’t even get a chance to reply to her as she cut the connection. He was needed. By her. Those words fed the beast inside of him. The one desperate to grab the Senator and have her all to himself. He leaned back in his chair. Don’t worry. I won’t be gone for long.

The next 36 hours dragged on. Anxious to get back and with the wedding closing in, he just wanted to be back at Coruscant. Padmé hadn’t contacted him again but still he feared what the Emperor could have done, or was planning to do. He had upgraded her family’s security in Naboo so she couldn’t accuse him of being careless.

As his ship touched down in the hangar, he was relieved. Entering the Palace, the Emperor was – of course – ready to meet him. He was surprised, however, to see Padmé rush to meet him. Meeting her halfway, he hugged her tightly and sighed in content. “I won’t leave you alone with him again,” he vowed before crushing her lips to his, forcing the entrance in her mouth with his tongue, kissing her passionately.

In twenty-four hours he would have all of her. Vader couldn’t wait. 

> She had been expecting the embrace, but not the kiss. Given everything that was happening, the fact that everyone was watching them, she accepted and even returned its ardor, if only for the sake of appearances. “Welcome home, my lord,” she said as their mouths parted. A flash told her that the moment had been captured and would be circling the HoloNet within the hour.
> 
> “I trust your mission was successful, Lord Vader?” Palpatine asked sharply, clearly displeased by the display that was so clearly grabbing public affection away from him and by the blatant disrespect of both his apprentice and the former Senator. “I would hate to hear bad news before a celebration, after all.”

Vader brushed his lips over hers and grinned. “It’s good to be home. I wouldn’t want to miss my own wedding,” he teased lightly, wrapping one arm around her waist as he turned towards Sidious. “Yes, Master, I do come bearing good news,” he nodded. “The Rebel base was destroyed. No prisoners were taken,” which meant everyone had burned, died or had run before they arrived.

“I will let my Captain give you the complete report of the mission,” he spoke as Rex stepped forward. “I am, however, getting married tomorrow and I would like to spend these last few hours with my bride,” he said, before bowing gently to the Emperor. “Master.”

Grabbing Padmé’s hand and squeezing it, he dragged her inside the Palace and didn’t stop until they were alone in her quarters. Slamming the doors close, he pushed her against a wall. “Has he said anything else to you?” He demanded, yellow eyes flashing. “If I find out you have betrayed me in any way…” 

> Padmé ducked her head, biting her lip at the mention of the base. Vader had been merciless, of course. Why would she have expected anything else? So caught up was she in her own self-loathing that she barely even realized that Vader had dragged her away from the gates and back to her rooms.
> 
> “I haven’t given him any reason that I know of to doubt us,” she snapped, pushing against the wall as she glared up at him. “I’ve been playing the lovelorn fool, throwing myself into planning this outlandish stunt of a wedding just to keep my mind off the pain of missing you. If anything, his doubts stem from the fact that he trained you too well.”
> 
> She was trying very hard not to think about how this was so very similar to the dream she’d had before his departure… Trying not to think about him tearing her skirts or his lips on her chest, or… or… “How long am I going to have to suffer under the both of you?”

Curiously, he observed how she started to remember her last fantasy dream. A smug smirk appeared on his lips. He has been so busy for the past two days that he had forgotten about this trick of his. Tonight was going to be the last one she would spend alone and he was going to enjoy giving her one last fantasy to have her begging the following night.

“Good. As long as he believes that you are in love with me, we don’t have to worry. Much. I am very excited to see how my lovely bride’s planning resulted. You should be happy, tomorrow you are seeing your family. They are safe. Like I’ve told you,” nodding, he stepped back. “You won’t have to worry about the Emperor for long,” he drawled, then smirk. “Although I can honestly say that underneath me, you are going to do a lot of things, except suffering, My Lady. I will leave you now to get your rest. I am going to my own quarters. Wouldn’t want you to be tired tomorrow,” taking her hand, he kissed her knuckles.

Leaving her quarters, he headed to his own. Tomorrow was going to be the start of all of his plans. Inside his rooms, he laid in bed, thinking about tonight’s “program." A slow smile appeared on his lips as he thought of the perfect location to tease her with…

_The Throne Room. The empty, after-party throne room. Both of them alone with the throne of the Empire. Since he had no idea how her wedding dress looked, he just pictured her wearing nothing. Completely naked, at his mercy, with her long, wavy brown hair falling down her back. He loved her with her hair down. If he had to request it for her to wear it like that often, he would. He sat on the throne and moved his index finger to coax his new wife closer to him. As she walked towards him, he eyed her hungrily and once she was closer, pulled her into his lap, her legs straddling his own. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and claimed her mouth over, and over again until their lips looked bruised from all the kissing. His hand moved lower to cup her as he teased her folds roughly with his fingers. He took one breast into his mouth and after all these ministrations, he didn’t let her come. Vader worked to get his belt undone and push his pants and underwear lower, so her heat was in contact directly with his head. “Ride me, Lady Vader,” he requested in her ear._

It was over as he bolted up in bed, groaned at how hard his cock was now. Hissing, he went directly into his fresher, for a cold bath. He hoped to the Force his bride was in a worse state than he was, because tomorrow night, he was not going to hold back anything.


	6. Union

Padmé awoke the morning of her wedding in the worst possible mood. She was tired, she was terrified, and she was wholly unsatisfied. If she was going to keep having this blasted dreams, could none of them at least allow her completion… Force help her, was she actually desiring satisfaction from Vader?!

She had to be going mad, she had to be. Darth Vader had driven her insane because there was no way she could be sane and having fantasies of him. That fact was only reinforced by how outlandish last night’s dream had been in comparison. On the throne! Of all the childish fantasies, that was never one she would have thought herself capable of having!

“My lady?” Dormé’s voice interrupted her. “My lady, you have to get up now, we only have a few hours to get you ready.” Ready…. ready… _The wedding. Damn it all…_ She let Dormé feed her a few bites of something she didn’t care enough to identify as Sabé started working at styling her hair and her makeup.

To sell the story further, they were leaving her hair mostly unbound, as most Naboo brides chose to do. If this had been a wedding to someone she loved, she would have used her grandmother Ryoo’s wedding dress and veil, both intricate and yet simple in their beauty, lovingly tucked away in a chest in the attic of Varykino. Instead, her hair was uncovered, a silver diadem framing her face with pieces of white gauze hanging down from it. The royal insignia of Naboo was featured prominently on the bodice of her gown, a silken sash at her waist that made her waist taper and her skirts billow out like a cloud around her, along with equally voluminous sleeves. It emboldened her presence, commanded attention, it was a dress for Amidala, not for Padmé Naberrie. “Well, I suppose I look the part,” she murmured coldly.

* * *

 Vader looked himself in the mirror. The day had arrived. He was dressed in his finest, black robes. There was not much he could do to his hair. The wild, blonde curls just fell into his eyes and as he shook his head, it got worse. He grimaced and decided that it would have to do.

There was a knock on the door and he felt him. Sidious. “Yes?” After his Master was inside the room, he gave him a once over.

“Well, isn’t this the happy day,” Sidious said coldly. “Your union with the Senator of Naboo. What an incredible surprise to everyone.”

Vader pursed his lips, remaining stoic. “Master, I have explained to you my reasons. She has fallen for me and I am just taking advantage of her. Her political influence and her Alliance will the Rebels is now tainted. She’s one less obstacle in the fight against us,” he said smoothly. “Why would I ever think of marrying her if not for our benefit?”

Sidious observed him with suspicious yellow eyes, but Vader decided to not be bothered by it. “I don’t know, Lord Vader, you should tell me that.”

“There is no other reasoning, Master,” Vader replied with a side smile. “Shall we? I am sure that there are guests arriving that we should greet.”

Agreeing with him, both he and Sidious left the quarters. It wouldn’t be long now until he was married and alone with the Senator. They had unfinished business to handle.

* * *

The great hall was arranged for the ceremony. Everyone stood up as he entered. He could see both sides filled with people and he knew he only met 25 percent of all of these people. Many came at Sidious’ call. Many were reporters for the HoloNet media. Then they had the Naboo side. He could see her family. They looked unsure. They didn’t know if they should feel happy for their daughter or scared…he hoped his bride fixed that. Fast. He walked down the aisle, Rex and Cody escorting him and then stood nearby when he was at the altar. Sidious was going to watch their every movement and it had to be perfect.

As the march began, he looked down the hall and maybe, for the first time in his life, he was at loss of words and in his stomach there were these…things, making him feel emotions… _oh no, not happening._

> A hush fell over those assembled as Padmé started her procession towards Vader. Her expression was one of serenity, one that she had learned over ten years’ time in politics, but she added the slightest of smiles to reinforce the lie that this was a marriage she had chosen for herself.
> 
> From beneath her lowered lashes, she saw that Palpatine was standing at the place that would have been occupied by a Pontifex in the wedding she’d dreamed of as a child. Apt, really. A totalitarian liar to officiate a dictatorial extortion of a marriage.
> 
> As her eyes met Vader’s, she felt another twinge below her waist and her jaw clenched slightly, just for a moment, before relaxing again as she remembered where they were and took the last few steps to come to his side, to take his hand in hers, despite every moral fiber in her being telling her it was horribly, horribly wrong.
> 
> Palpatine started droning on about what a happy day this was for the Empire, that even in tragic times of unrest and bloodshed, young love could blossom, how the union between her and Vader promised a new era of strength and prosperity, and that he was so very happy for his adoptive son to have gained such a prize. Padmé couldn’t see, but she suspected that her father might have winced, to hear her referred to in such a way. _Father, please, don’t say anything, please…_

Sidious’ speech was extremely long and unnecessary. The comments he purposefully made to attack the Senator and her family, just made Vader understand how much of a danger he was to them and he knew Sidious wouldn’t be satisfied until he knew the entire truth.

As they were declared husband and wife, he decided that portraying the part of adoring husband wouldn’t hurt his imagine. Vader pulled her gently towards him and descended his lips to hers and kissed her. It wasn’t aggressive, or possessive. Simple, not too much fuss. He could feel Sidious’ disgust from his side and responded by deepening the kiss and cupping her cheeks in his hands.

With parted lips, he smiled. “You should smile, Lady Vader, this is – after all – the happiest moment of your life,” wrapping one arm around her waist, he turned to nod at their guests, that enthusiastically clapped at the wedded couple.

“Congratulations,” Sidious drawled, now stepping in front of them. “We shall all head to the reception. As my gift to you, your honeymoon. At Mandalore’s Palace. I hope you enjoy this period away.” 

> Padmé managed the smile and even leaned in to kiss him again, this time on the cheek as they were presented to the public as a married couple for the first time, but her feigned joy faltered as Palpatine brought up Mandalore. There was still a place in her heart that grieved for Satine Kryze and all the hard work she’d done trying to keep her system neutral, and the tragedy that had ensued in the Empire’s forceful seizure. A friend who was gone now, like so many others.
> 
> “How… generous of you,” she managed to stammer out. “Thank you, your Majesty.” Palpatine’s smile widened at her clear discomfort.
> 
> “Ah, but I don’t think you understand, my dear. The Palace itself is part of my gift to you, along with all it entails. Practice for my heirs. I hope it doesn’t overwhelm you too much. But all that can wait until after the celebrations.” Padmé fought down a wave of disgust induced nausea. This had to be some form of divine wrath against her.

Oh, if she was as frustrated as he knew she was, they were going to practice a lot, but no for Sidious to get heirs, but for Vader to get _his_ heir. Not that his new wife knew about his plans, but soon, one thing at a time. He didn’t need to freak her out just yet about that. If he knew Padmé as well as he thought, it wouldn’t be the easiest subjects to approach.

“Thank you, Master, we’ll keep your suggestion in mind,” Vader said, grinning. “My new wife, however, needs to introduce me to her family,” he added.

“Of course, I’m sure they are terribly excited to meet the new member of their family,” Sidious said, his lips curling up into a cruel smile. “I’ll see you both at the reception,” he turned around and left.

“Go on, My Lady, I should meet your family, don’t you think?” Vader whispered in her ear. “I promise to be on my best behavior!” 

> This was going to be the most agonizing day of her life, one that would make her want to scream a thousand times over, but instead, she nodded and led him towards her family. “My lord, this is my father, Ruwee Naberrie, and my mother, Jobal Thule.”
> 
> “He’s really handsome, Auntie Padmé,” Pooja spoke up from behind her mother’s skirts, only for her sister to shush her. “Well, he is!”
> 
> Padmé laughed, even as her cheeks burned scarlet from embarrassment. “That is Pooja and Ryoo. My sister’s daughters, who are very young and very... honest.” Pooja crossed her arms as her father lifted her up and put her on his hip. “And this is my sister, Sola, and her husband, Darred.”
> 
> “Grandmother says she’s sorry she couldn’t make it, but she’s been under the weather and wasn’t cleared for travel,” Sola added as she held out her hand to her new brother-in-law. “It’s... nice to meet you, Lord Vader. I hope you and my sister have a very happy marriage.”

Vader laughed softly at the little girl. “Well, thank you Pooja. You are very pretty too, you know? Like a little princess,” he complimented the girl. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Padmé talks about you constantly and I do apologize for all the rush of the wedding. I know my wife is a little mad at me, she wanted to have everything done in Naboo, but as much as I tried, I wasn’t able to stop working until yesterday,” he had to play the part of the devoted husband, didn’t he?

“I do thank you for coming,” he added. “I know it means a lot to Padmé too, she has missed you,” Vader went you. “Especially the two little girls,” he turned to Ryoo and Pooja. “I believe we can have Threepio take them to the Garden to play, don’t you think, My Love?” He turned to his wife. “They’ll love it and these parties can be so boring for children. Taking Padmé’s hands in his, he kissed her knuckle. “I have people to greet. I’ll leave you with your family.”

Smiling at the Naberrie family and waving slightly at little Pooja, he directed his attention for a few advisors who he should speak with. This would give Padmé time to sell her happiness to her family.

> “Well, he’s… something,” Jobal remarked politely. “And I will give Pooja this, he certainly is handsome. But—”
> 
> “I’m happy, Mother. Really,” Padmé insisted, grabbing her parents’ hands. “I know he seems rough around the edges, and he’s not exactly the kind of man you’re used to seeing me with, but I married him out of love.”
> 
> “Rough around the edges is right— did he even think about coming to ask for our blessing, or is that not a tradition here on Coruscant?”
> 
> “The Emperor keeps him very busy, Father, he had little choice in the matter. Please, just give him a chance, the girls clearly like him.”

During the reception, Vader was able to keep up with the guests. Half of them coming from Sidious’ list, but he took that time to sell himself. His plans, his hopes, and visions. Sidious didn’t know but he had handed him a chance to make allies.

Vader was making his rounds, while his wife did the same with the guests when he bumped into a blue and white little astromech.

“Hey there, buddy, lost?” Vader questioned and the droid beeped in return, sounding sassy. “Oh, you’re right where you need to be? Good. Wait…you’re an R2 unit, aren’t you?” His blinked remembering his wife’s words. The little droid beeped again. “Nice to meet you, Artoo, I’m Vader,” more sassy beeping. “Yes, a Sith,” he said dryly and he observed the droid with caution. “You looked banged up,” more beeping, this time a bit whining. “I’m sorry nobody took care of your damage. I’ll gladly do it,” he patted the blue dome. “Come. I think you and Threepio are going to be great friends.”

After he found Threepio and left Artoo to get acquainted with the protocol droid – who was very shocked by the extreme language of such a little droid – he was able to snatch his wife from a few guests. “I met your R2 unit. He’s something. Very sassy. I like him.” 

> “I—Oh!” Padmé yelped in alarm as her husband pulled her away from speaking with two members of House Sindian. She was about to scold him when she realized who he was talking about. “Well, when I mentioned your request to the Queen, she agreed to make him a wedding gift to us. But I did warn you he was temperamental. And he doesn’t trust Sith, seeing as one of them was sent to assassinate me when I was fourteen.”
> 
> “Auntie Padmé, Uncle Vader!” Padmé looked down to see that Pooja had managed to escape the watchful eyes of both her parents and grandparents, and was now tugging at Vader’s robes. “They’re playing music, will one of you dance with me?”
> 
> Padmé hesitated, looking between her husband and her niece. “I think... I think we have to dance together first, sweetheart. Alone. This is our wedding, after all.” Pooja’s lip started to quiver, and her aunt rushed to reassure her before she started crying. “But I’m sure your uncle will be happy to save at least one dance for you this evening.” She shot Vader a look that made it very clear if he turned down such a heartfelt request from a five-year-old girl, he’d suffer for it.

Vader grinned at his wife. “On the contrary, we got along very well. Do you know if Naboo has a competent technician for the droids? Artoo looks a bit banged up, if you ask me and I am going to love fixing him,” he said. “I left him with Threepio, so both of them can get acquainted,” he chuckled.

At Pooja’s request, something in his heart stirred. He smiled at the little girl. Such an innocent and pure creature. “How about, after I dance with your Aunt, I will get you?” He kneeled down to her height.

“Really?” The little girl squealed. “You will?”

Vader nodded. “I would love to,” he said.

Squealing, Pooja threw herself at his neck. Vader froze, because, for a second, he forgot what it was like to be hugged out of pure innocence and want. Pooja wanted to hug him. She liked him. She didn’t judge. That was the extraordinary thing about children.

“You are supposed to hug me back, Uncle Vader,” Pooja said, still hanging on his neck.

Vader slowly wrapped his arms around the little girl. “How’s that?”

“Good,” she pulled back grinning, but then frowned. “Don’t you know how to hug, Uncle Vader?” turning to her Aunt, her frown deepened. “Don’t you hug him, Auntie Padmé?”

Raising, with the girl in his arms, Vader was able to distract her and save his new wife from an uncomfortable conversation. “What if I take you to your Mom, and you’ll stay with her until I get you?” Pooja nodded, happy to be in his arms.“I’ll be right back,” he told Padmé, before finding her sister, Sola, with her husband and Ryoo. Sola didn’t know if she would be relieved or worried. “Pooja asked me to dance.”

“Oh, my lord, you don’t have to,” Sola stuttered.

“He promised,” Pooja shouted.

“I did, and it’s no trouble,” he said calmly as he handed the child back to her Mother. “I don’t break my promises.”

Pooja looked delighted. “Uncle Vader, if you want, I can keep teaching you how to hug,” she said and Sola paled.

Vader chuckled, to the surprise of the family. “Kids, huh?” It was the last thing he said, before returning to Padmé’s side and offering his hand. “I believe it’s our time to dance, Lady Vader?” Taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor, the soft, piano music started as they began their fluid movement through the dance floor. “Your niece is adorable,” he noted.

> Padmé was glad of the moment to herself to try and digest what she’d seen of Vader being so affectionate with Pooja. It felt impossible to reconcile the sight before her with the man who had threatened that same sweet girl in order to get Padmé to this very point. “Such a charming image.”  She turned to see Palpatine standing there with a smirk of his own, one that made her shiver. “I’m sure you can’t wait until you have children of your own to dote on.”
> 
> “It’s a blessing we’ll be looking forward to in the future,” Padmé managed, panicking internally. “I’ve always wanted to be a mother... to have a family of my own.”
> 
> “And what a family the two of you will have... It should be very interesting.” He gave her one last sneer before turning away to start conversing with Senator Burtoni of Kamino about clone production. Padmé stood, catching her breath only to almost jump when Vader came to sweep her up into the dancing. “Yes, well, my father says that we all get it from his side of the family. Mother swears he’s crazy, and it’s her good genes. And then just to annoy them, Sola or I will say that they get it from Darred.” She managed a genuine laugh at the memories of such arguments. “Personally, I think we’re all a little crazy, but then again, that’s family.”
> 
> She spun herself under his arm, skirts billowing out even further. “I think this might be the most extravagant dress I’ve ever worn, even more than the ones I had when I was Queen. Tell me, my lord, do you think it was worth it?” she asked, changing the conversation to something a little more harmless.

Vader nodded. “A dress worthy of a position you might one day occupy, My Lady. It’s beautiful,” he complimented, as he twirled her around again. “I hope what’s underneath is as much extravagant as the outside,” he grinned, because he was looking forward to their night. They would leave soon and reach Mandalore by nightfall. A week of frustration was finally going to end, he hoped. Because if everything went according to what he imagined, it would be Padmé to ask for him to satisfy him. After all, with all those fantasies and with her being a virgin, she was probably reaching her breaking point by now.

After the dance was over, Vader nodded slightly to his wife. “I think I should get your niece and then, we should so we can arrive in Mandalore in time,” his eyes glinted as he went towards the table where her family was. Before he had even reached them, Pooja was already barreling against his legs. Cute little one.

Her emotions were so pure and without second intentions. It was refreshing and Vader couldn’t resist her. He knew his Master would be frowning at his behavior, but suddenly, Pooja’s bright, huge grin, made it worth whatever lash out he would expect from his Master. “Ready, little one?”

“Uh-huh!” Pooja grabbed both his hands eagerly and put the tips of her feet next to his. “You and Auntie Padmé looked really pretty, like a prince and princess in a story. I’m so glad you’re going to live happily ever after.” 

> The sweetness and innocence of it would have broken Padmé’s heart if she hadn’t been dealing with her husband’s reminders of her dream from the night before. The ache and heat in her belly were back with a vengeance. She tried not to think about it as she awkwardly received more congratulations from her guests and comments about how precious Vader looked with her niece, how excited she surely must be to start a family— It was an immense relief when her father tapped her on the shoulder.
> 
> “Am I allowed the next dance?”
> 
> “Oh, Father, of course.” Padmé let him move her onto the dance floor and hugged him close. “I love you so much… all of you…” It was as close to a confession as she could get without outright telling him the truth. “And I promise, I’ll come visit whenever I can.”
> 
> “Promise me that you’ll make certain you stay yourself, Padmé. I don’t know what it is you’re keeping from us, but I hope it’s worth this.”
> 
> “It is, Father. I promise it is.”

Her innocence made him fear for her future. The Galaxy was a cruel place. Bloodshed, pain, and betrayal. Loss, grief, and tears. Vader had seen it all, had been through it all. Yet, she was a little girl who deserved to believe in fairy tales for as long as she could. So Vader smiled and nodded. “Yes, Pooja, happily ever after,” he agreed.

When the dance was over, Pooja begged for one more, but Vader shook his head. “I’m sorry, but your Aunt and I, need to leave now,” he explained as he took the little girl’s hand and walked with her towards her Mother.

“When will I see you two again?” Pooja asked.

“Soon. Your Aunt will miss you. I’m sure she’ll want you to visit,” he chuckled.

The little girl pouted. “Won’t you miss?”

Vader nodded. “I’ll miss you too,” then Sola was rushing over and picking up her daughter. “It was a pleasure meeting you all.”

Sola nodded slowly. “Take care of my sister, My Lord,” she asked, even though it could be easily interpreted as a warning.

“Do not worry, I will,” he vowed as he turned around and went in search of his wife. “May I?” He asked as he found her with her Father. “Padmé and I should be going on our honeymoon,” Vader smiled. “But she’ll visit you, once we are back.” 

> Ruwee squeezed his daughter’s hand while giving his new son-in-law one last glance of inspection. His face said everything he knew he couldn’t say, and Padmé hugged him tightly before looking at her husband. “Just let me say goodbye to my mother and the rest of my family.”
> 
> It was tearful, for the most part. Ryoo was disappointed that she hadn’t gotten to spend very much time with her aunt, but Padmé promised to make it up to her the next time she was back home. Sola and her mother were both kind and concerned as they hugged her. Darred actually managed to make a joke about it, offering to duke it out for her honor if things didn’t work out, which Padmé had to immediately urge him not to do.
> 
> “I’ll be fine,” she promised. “But I have to go now, patience is not one of his... stronger virtues.” Getting one last hug from everyone, she returned to Vader’s side. “I’m ready to go now.”

“Enjoy your honeymoon, Lord Vader,” Sidious appeared by Vader’s side. “I am sure the Senator will try her best to please you,” he sneered.

Vader chuckled. “Oh, I know she’ll try her best, Master. We thank you for your gift. Mandalore is going to be very good for the both of us,” he smirked. “I trust everything will be alright in my absence?”

“Yes, yes,” Sidious frowned. “You’re leaving that girl…the Commander…in charge, are you not?”

“She’s trustworthy and the troops respect her,” Vader nodded. Dara was more than capable of handling her own troubles and the 501st Battalion on her own.

“I’ll see you in a couple of weeks, my apprentice,” Sidious nodded

Vader nodded, trying not to show the annoyance at Sidious’ insinuation that he was nothing but the student. As Padmé reached him, he nodded, suddenly very happy he was leaving the party. Taking her hand and after they said their final goodbyes to their guests, Vader took her to his private hangar. His sleek, black ship was waiting to take them to Mandalore. He was proud of that ship. He had transformed it into the biggest threat in the Galaxy. The fastest ship.

He helped Padmé up the ramp and once they were inside the ship, Vader turned to the panel near him and closed the ramp. “The trip to Mandalore will take a few standard hours. There is a room in the ship where your handmaidens placed your luggage,” he nodded. “As beautiful as your dress is…” he looked up and down appreciatively. “I believe you will want to dress in something more comfortable,” he winked as he headed for the cockpit. 

> Something about being effectively trapped in a small, enclosed space that her _husband_ controlled made it very difficult for Padmé to stay calm as the door sealed behind them. And a tiny, traitorous part of her mind kept flashing back to the dreams that had been torturing her this last week, making her wonder what it would be like for him to press her up against one of the ship’s walls and tear her wedding gown to pieces at that very minute. Then she forced herself not to think about such things and moved to find the room with her clothing.
> 
> With Dormé and Sabé having been given the honeymoon as a time to go home and see their own families, she was left to change on her own. Getting out of the enormous ball gown took her nearly an hour, but she refused to call Vader in for help, refused to take the chance that it might inspire him to start the honeymoon before they arrived on Mandalore.
> 
> Once she was free of the cumbersome thing, she shifted through the cases of clothes her friends had packed, finally settling on a pale blue two-piece dress, with full bell sleeves and cloak-like back, edged in silver embroidery, with a matching silver headpiece that she fit into her hair. To compensate for the fact that it left her midriff bare, she matched it with a cloak that fully covered her body and hair, leaving only her face exposed.
> 
> Satisfied that she was sending a very clear message, she returned to the cockpit, clearing her throat to get her husband’s attention. “Will it take much more time? The last few days have been utterly exhausting, and  I would love the chance to be able to get some proper rest.”

Vader almost snorted when he saw what she had chosen to wear. He focused on piloting the ship and not on her, shrugging nonchalantly. “Not much longer, no,” he said. “You and I both. I returned yesterday from an assignment and didn’t get a chance to rest properly,” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

His plan was very simple. Drive her up the wall with sexual frustration. With need. With the dreams she had during the week and his I-don’t-think-I-want-to-have-sex-you-with-after-all attitude, it wouldn’t take long. So he was silent, happily piloting the ship until they were out of hyperspace and Mandalore was in sight.


	7. Consummation

Padmé had to fight the natural instinct of her jaw dropping to the floor. A week ago, he’d been undressing her with his eyes and threatening her life to get to this point! Now he possessed her, she was his wife, just like he wanted, and was acting as if she were a gift he had received on his birthday that he didn’t want! She fought the urge to scream and hit him, choosing instead to sit in the seat furthest from him and glower at him until they landed in Mandalore.

As the ship docked in the bay, there were a few aides waiting for them, as there were a couple of troops who saluted them. The aides took care of carrying their bags inside the Palace, but one, the responsible for the rest of the people of the Palace approached them.

“Lord and Lady Vader, welcome to Mandalore,” she bowed. “We are so delighted you have chosen our beautiful planet as your honeymoon destination. We have prepared everything on the Palace for you. It must have been a very long trip and you probably want to rest. Please, follow me,” she turned around and headed inside the Palace.  

> Vader took Padmé’s hand and pulled her to his side. They’ve followed the aid until the master bedroom. “We took it upon ourselves to prepare you a table with a few refreshments and some of Mandalore’s most appreciated desserts. I hope you enjoy your stay with us. Have an excellent night,” she bowed again and left them alone.
> 
> “They’re so nice here,” Vader commented as he opened the door. “Ladies first… _Lady_ Vader,” he smirked at her new title and allow her to enter the room first.

The sight of the city had made Padmé’s heart ache. _Satine, I’m so sorry..._ The sorrow of what had happened here since she last saw her friend kept her silent as they disembarked and entered the Palace. She tried not to look at the beautiful stained glass, the pristine white stone walls. The fact that they were using the rooms that had once been Satine’s made things even worse.

“Smugness is not one of your more appealing qualities,” she remarked quietly as she lowered the hood of her cloak and undid the clasp, letting the garment pooled on the floor. Her hair billowed out around her shoulders as she looked at him properly for the first time since their departure. “Though it was rather surprising to see how good you were with Pooja.” Anything, any kind of conversation to take her mind off the fact of what happened in rooms like this when people were in the situation she was in now…  

> Vader removed his heavy black coat and threw it carelessly to the armchair near the window. He started undoing his cuffs, removing his gloves and sat down on the armchair to remove his boots too. “She’s a sweet girl,” he commented with a nonchalant attitude. “Very outgoing. Ryoo is shyer. A bit jealous of all the attention Pooja gets,” he pointed out because he had felt it in the older girl. “Not much. I believe for someone who has a younger sibling, it’s natural. She loves her sister, though,” he added. “The Force can tell you a lot about a person. Especially with children.”
> 
> After removing his boots, he stood and went to his trunk, grabbing his clothing. “You won’t mind if I use the fresher first, do you?” He gave her a brilliant smile before entering the fresher and the door slide shut behind him. Vader chuckled to himself. Well, her glowering did not go unnoticed. This was exactly what he wanted. Her, on the edge of her seat, wanting, needing and begging for him. Undressing, he got under the hot water and took his time showering. Washing his hair and his body, knowing the more time it ticked by, the more antsy she would become.
> 
> After he turned off the water, he dried himself and dressed only in a pair of silky black pajama pants. He towel dried his hair, that framed his face in blonde curls. Would the naked chest be too much to his virgin wife? Maybe. He didn’t care.
> 
> Leaving the fresher, he tilted his head. “Ready for bed? I would eat because Mandalore has some of the finest cuisine, but I’m actually very tired.”

Padmé sat on the bed, clenching her jaw and glaring at the door as she waited for him. He could not be serious. He could not seriously be doing this to her! She was going to kill him for this! Stewing in her fury and frustration, she got up, pacing around the room, then sitting again as she heard the water turn off, he was not about to know that he’d gotten to her, the bastard.

“Oh, you’re tired, are you?” she asked scathingly. “After all this nonsense and dramatics, everything you did to get me here, you’re **_tired_ **? Do you have any idea how much this night has been weighing on me, the anticipation surrounding it all?!” She let out a shriek of frustration and fell backward onto the bed, a scowl marring the usually serene loveliness of her features.

“You have me here. You married me. Now stop playing around with my mind and torturing me and just get it over with already! I won’t even bother to fight, I just want it done!”

> Vader raised his eyebrows, amused at her outburst. He kept quiet until she was done yelling at him. Pursing his lips he approached the bed with ease, peering down at his wife. “Oh yes, you know how to make yourself irresistible to a man, Senator,” he rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “You want it done. Over with as soon as possible. My, my, my, how could I refuse a request like that?” Then he snapped his fingers. “I know how! Scoot a little to the side, and allow me to lay down and get some deserving rest. I don’t have troops to order around tomorrow. I don’t have meetings with the Emperor. I can actually sleep in. I have the next two weeks off, and I’m going to enjoy them.”
> 
> Her need for release, for something, was burning her from the inside and her behavior was proof. However, Vader was not about to give in so easily.
> 
> “I know I’ve been saying a few things. It’s just harmless flirting, I assure you,” Vader shrugged. “No need to get all hot and bothered by it. Can I get into bed now? You are taking up the entire mattress.”

“Harmless flirting? I _know_ you’re behind the dreams I’ve been having, you have to be, I would never…” Her face grew scalding hot and she picked up a pillow to throw directly into his face. “The entire reason you did this was so that you could bed me! You know it, I know it, so why are you doing this now?”  

> Playing the innocent, Vader tilted his head confused. “Dreams? What dreams? Are you having dreams about the two of us?” He asked, amused. This was fun, he was enjoying the dynamics. “No. I had other reasons in mind to marry you, not only to bed you. That’s a plus,” he shrugged, nonchalant. “Why am I doing what? Why do I want to sleep? I’m human. It’s a basic need.”

Padmé wished he had a collar, not only so that she could grab him by it, but also because that would mean he’d be wearing a shirt, and she wouldn’t have to think about the sculpted form of his stomach, the taut muscularity of his torso and shoulders, the suntanned look of every inch of his skin, the little curves and creases and tendons that tapered down past the waist of his pants…

“You know exactly what you’ve been doing. We both know you want me, you’ve been showing me just how badly that’s the case all week, and you’ve left me unsatisfied at every turn, well, not tonight, do you hear me, Vader!” She sat up on her knees so that they were eye to eye for once. “We are consummating this marriage right now, and if you leave me suffering even slightly, I promise you I’ll be returning to Coruscant a widow!” 

> Vader grinned at the way she devoured his naked chest. Her eyes raked over his form like a starving woman who hasn’t eaten for weeks. He could tease her about all the attention she was providing his chest with, but seeing her so feisty, out of control and completely desperate, was proving to be a better entertainment.
> 
> “I’ve been showing you? How? I’m sorry, Senator, I didn’t mean to pass the wrong image,” he said with an innocent voice. “Oh, are we? Bossy,” he teased, not moving an inch to touch her. Vader chuckled at her threat. “You’re endearing when you threaten my life like that. Like an angry kitten, hissing and puffing,” he bit his lower lip before uncrossing his arms and using one finger to trace a path through her bare stomach. “You’re not asking it nicely enough,” he pouted.

“I’m asking as nicely as you did,” Padmé hissed, fisting her hands in his hair before giving him the exact kind of kisses he’d given her in the dreams— aggressive, wild to the point of near savagery and leaving them both starved for breath.

“I need you... to take me,” she managed to grit out. “ _Please_.”

And in the most humiliating gesture of her life, she pulled back, unwrapping the top half of her dress so that it fell away, leaving her own chest completely exposed to him so that she could move his hand upwards to cup her breast. “Please...” she whispered.

It was as clumsy and virginal as a seduction could possibly be, but she was so far past desperate at this point that it didn’t matter. She needed relief, and she knew that only he could truly provide it. “I need you,” she choked out again.

> The kiss surprised him for a few seconds, before he reciprocated, just as wildly. Just as savage. Breaking the kiss, he was breathless, eyes darkening with lust. Her words only fueled his own need for her and when she bared her own chest for him, when she took his hand to cup one of her full breasts, he was gone.
> 
> They were doing this right. As a virgin, her experience was none. Her seduction techniques needed truly to be improved, but Vader didn’t mind. He didn’t mind at all as long as she improved them with him, for him. Licking his lips he removed his hand from her breast and slide it to her waist. With a smooth technique, he removed the bottom part of the dress she wore, leaving her naked, in front of him. His eyes went over her body appreciatively. Petite, full in all the right places, beautiful. His hands went to her head and he removed the silver headpiece she wore, letting her hair cascade down her back. Vader ran his fingers through the locks, enjoying the silky sensation of her hair.
> 
> “Lay back down on the bed,” he ordered gently and after she complied, Vader climbed on top of her, hovering above her body. His lips found hers again and his kiss was the opposite of the one she had given him. It wasn’t filled with need, or wild, or savage. It was a kiss meant to taste her, to savor her. Coaxing her lips open, he slid his tongue into her mouth, gently discovering the hidden places, massaging her own tongue with his. It was a lasting kiss, at the end, he cupped her cheek with his hand. Breaking the contact, he looked directly into her eyes.
> 
> “I don’t know what you have been told about losing your virginity,” he pursed his lips, rubbing his thumb over the smooth cheekbone. “It’s going to hurt. When it does, I want you to know I’m not doing it on purpose, alright? If there was one thing you can know about me, it’s that I’m not unnecessarily cruel and I’ll try to make it the best experience for you,” he kissed all the way along her jawline, before kissing her lips again. “Trust me, it’s not just getting here and be done with it. That is no fun and you’ll eventually agree with me,” he smiled down at her. “Trust that I know what I’m doing to make you feel good.”
> 
> With one last kiss to her lips, he traced a trail of open-mouthed kisses down the column of her throat, over her collarbone and stopped at her breasts. Cupping one of her breasts with his hand, he fondled it firmly, pinching her nipple between his fingers, before taking it in his mouth and sucking it, using his tongue to flick it. Then, he went to its twin and gave it the same treatment.
> 
> Showering her stomach with kisses, he looked up at her with a grin. “Having fun yet?”

As Padmé obeyed him and leaned back into the mattress, an overwhelming sense of something between terror and excitement washed over her, not helped by the feeling of his tongue in her mouth. _That_ nearly made her lose her breath entirely as she tried to remember how to breathe through her nose. She would not faint from a kiss, no matter how surprising or intense— but, _O_ _Shiraya,_ how intense it was! She could feel her heart hammering, as though it were trying to break free of her ribcage, but it slowed to allow for some trace of sorrow at his warning.

 _It won't hurt if it's with someone you love_. That was what her sister had told her after returning from her honeymoon with Darred. Of course, that only served to make Padmé's heart ache a little more, as she knew full well that she and Vader did not love each other. She would hurt. She would bleed. And even if it wasn't intentionally cruel, she knew he would still take pleasure in the knowledge that he was the man that got to do this to her, the only man who would ever do such things to her. So she braced herself for the hurt, which left her completely unprepared for what he actually did.

The kisses along her neck and shoulders were nothing particularly interesting. Probably because she'd allowed them, albeit with less frequency, from Palo, when they'd been together. Vader was more forceful in the amount of pressure he applied, but it was nothing she'd never done before. When he took her breast in his hand and started teasing her, it was a new experience, but one she had expected. She breathed through it, knowing it was something she would have to get used to, and even letting herself enjoy the stimulation it provided with a little sigh. But when he started sucking, she let out a full shriek, her nails tearing through the sheets as her head tilted back.

This was the kind of feeling that had been in her dreams, like lightning through her entire body, the feeling that she despised and craved simultaneously. "M-more," she gasped. "I want more.”   

> Vader smiled against the skin of her stomach. He kept his onslaught of kisses on her stomach, tracing her belly button with his tongue. As he went lower and reached the lower part of her body, his hands that were still kneading the soft flesh of her breasts, released them in favor of traveling down her slim waist, to her hips, caressing the skin of her creamy thighs as they reached her knees. Slowly he parted her legs, letting her open for him. Vader could see, almost smell, her arousal. It pooled between her legs and he would gladly give her her release soon.
> 
> He kissed her inner thigh from her knee up and then repeated it with the other leg before his attention went to what he wanted – needed – most. He blew hot air directly to her sex, his hands coming up to her thighs again, holding her in place. “Patience. You’ll have what you want in a few,” he smiled, before he kissed her, over the brown curls that covered her folds. Vader placed a few more kissed before the tip of his tongue teased her clit. Then, he became more bold with his ministrations, letting his tongue taste her, her essence, licking up and down her folds, and taking the small bundle of nerves in his mouth and giving it a hard suck.
> 
> Vader lapped at her greedily. He was focusing on making her feel good, on showing her that he also wanted her to take pleasure from this, from them. Show her that there was no wrong in letting lust rule you, if only when you are in the bedroom (or several other places that he’ll introduce her later). Vader used the tip of his tongue to tease her entrance before he freed one hand and brought it down. Slowly, he pushed one finger inside of her as he took her clit into his mouth, maintaining a rhythm between the movements of his finger inside of her and of his tongue.
> 
> He felt how she tightened, how her pure energy vibrated with the new sensations her body was receiving. She as close, very close. It was not a surprise, he has been provoking her body ever since she arrived at the Palace a week earlier.
> 
> “Let go,” again, his tone carried an underlying order, but it was gentle. It was for her own pleasure.

Padmé tensed slightly as he got further and further into the things she knew nothing about, the things her sister had probably done, but never told her about because she’d known Padmé would blush bright red if it was mentioned. It seemed almost… perverted to be finding enjoyment in this. But his fingers… and his tongue… There was no denying that he knew what he was doing, and for a moment, she wondered how he’d gotten this adept. The thought of him doing such things to another woman made her blood boil possessively. Never again. If she had to be his, then he was going to be hers, unquestionably.

Rather than _let go_ , she locked her thighs around his shoulders, pulling his body closer to hers and refusing to relax until there was absolutely no way she could hold back any further. So, when she _did_ let go, it felt like she had opened a dam, so great was the rush. It came with a rush of sound,  a loud gasp that might have been his name if she could have actually heard herself speak above the completely unfamiliar sensations that accompanied her first true orgasm. It was completely different from the ones she’d experienced by herself, the difference between hearing a muted recording of a bombastic symphony, and being in the center of an orchestra performing the same piece. And she hated herself deeply for the fact that she definitely preferred the latter.

“ _Gods_ …” she whimpered as her legs fell away from him. 

> Vader raised his head slowly, licking his lips with a satisfied smile, as she basked in the aftermath of her first orgasm, he took the opportunity to remove his pajama pants. Later, when she as more comfortable with their intimacy, he would teach her how to touch him. Climbing on top of her again, supporting his weight on his elbows, by each side of her head, he positioned himself between her legs, the tip of his member at her entrance.
> 
> He peppered her face with small, delicate kisses. “I told you so,” he mumbled at her ear, taking her earlobe into his mouth and sucking. “This is not just for my pleasure. It’s for yours too,” he moved his mouth down, along her neck and then up to her lips, taking them, possessively with his own. He licked her lips, and his tongue plundered into her mouth again, imitating something that he would be doing very soon. As he broke the kiss so they could breathe, one of his hands slid under her tight and lifted her gently, his tip pressing at her entrance.
> 
> “Hold on to me and then you’ll have to tell me when I can move again,” Vader whispered against her lips before he started entering her. He groaned as he felt just how tight she was. As his head dropped to her shoulder, he kept pushing before in one single thrust, he was deep inside of her, feeling her barrier break. He used his hand to keep her in place. “ ** _Force_ ** , Padmé,” he moaned. “So fucking **tight** ,” it took all of his control, all of his strength not to move.
> 
> Vader didn’t want to move too soon, he would wait for her signal. He knew that a bad first time could leave you scarred, afraid of repeating the act. By providing her with her first orgasm, he had wanted her to be ready for this, for her to be wet and relaxed enough so he didn’t hurt her as much.

Words had completely abandoned her, which was just as well, considering how quickly he resumed his ravishing of her mouth. Was it... her own spend she was tasting now on his lips? Was it bad that she found it strangely arousing, to know where he’d been? The breaths she was taking now were deep, shuddering things that left her entire body quivering. Wonderful as the climax had been, she still desperately needed true fulfillment and the tip of his cock was just teasing her, taunting her with the promise of what it offered.

Slowly, she nodded, arms wrapping around him as she braced herself for the inevitable moment. As it happened, as she took him within her, a small hiss escaped her, turning into a gasp as he found his way to fit. And it felt snug, the same kind of feeling as a dress that had fit her body so tightly, she’d had to be sewn into it, except it was the wrong kind of snug.  “Move, move, move,” she chanted, nails digging into his back.

She wanted the release he’d given her moments ago, like an addict craving deathsticks, and her hips bucked against his with every repetition of the single syllable.

> Vader was more than happy to give in to her request. He pulled back and ended up almost out of her, with just the tip of his cock inside. Then he slammed back in. Hissing as her walls gripped him tightly. Vader kept repeating the movement, first at a slow pace, wanting her to get used to his size, then faster. He moaned in her ear, his hand holding her steady as he kept thrusting into her, the sound of skin hitting skin, mingled with their moans and ragged breathing, were the only sounds heard in the room. The air became heavy, and as he felt the tension built up, he sucked at her neck, then nipped at her shoulder.
> 
> His hand released her thigh, in favor of coming between their bodies, his thumb finding her clit and he started to tease it mercilessly.
> 
> “Come for me,” he asked in her ear, breathless. “Reach for the release you have wanted all week.”

Her breasts slammed against his chest as they rocked back and forth in tandem with his thrusts and her orgasm built further and further. She whimpered and groaned as he increased the pace, and every dream kept flooding back in her mind.

 _Teasing and kissing me in the meadow. Tearing my dress and taking me against the glass overlooking Coruscant. Having me mount you, stark naked, on the Emperor’s throne._ Each of those moments burned into her mind, inspiring her to increase her pace until it matched his, and when his hand found her folds, it pushed her straight over the edge in a scream of passion as she achieved her second orgasm of the night, one even better than the first

“You…“ But she couldn’t possibly think of what to say as she lay there beneath him, taking deep breaths. _You’re incredible. You definitely know what you’re doing. You_ **_were_ ** _behind those dreams. You are nothing like any other man I’ve ever know. You aren’t going to win this easily._ She was irrevocably his wife now. But if this was what her nights were to be from now on, perhaps she could find enjoyment in that, at least. “Wow,” she said finally looking up at him in awe. 

> Connected to the Force, to her specifically, he saw the way the images of the dreams, fantasies he gave her, flashed through her mind in the moments before she fell apart around him, made her name drop from his lips like a caress. As she hit her climax, he was next, a few thrusts later.  His heart was beating impossibly fast.
> 
> That…that was something else. Vader buried his head in the crook of her neck, dropping small, lazy kisses through her shoulder. He had women before her, it was true, but being with Padmé so intimately, it made something deep inside of him stir. Now, she was his. Completely his. No one else would have her, he would make sure of that.
> 
> He raised his head from her shoulder as he heard her utter the first word, looking down at her in wonder. Smiling smugly, he chuckled. “Wow, indeed,” he whispered, tracing her lips with his thumb. “It only gets better from here, I promise,” he leaned down to capture her lips in a languid kiss. Force! He could kiss her forever. His hand came up to hold her neck as he lazily made out with her.
> 
> Finally rolling over to his side, abandoning completely, he tugged his new wife to his side, draping her over his chest. Her hair working as a halo around her slender figure. He intertwined the fingers of his hand in her locks and relaxed back on the pillows, closing his eyes. “How do you feel?” he mumbled. 

“Sore,” Padmé confessed, running a finger down his chest. “But if you say it’ll be better… I suppose I believe you. You’re the expert, after all.” It was a slight dig at the fact that he had clearly had other partners.

Were they supposed to do only this for the next two weeks? It seemed… excessive, but she doubted Vader was particularly interested in learning more about Mandalore’s culture, or any of the other activities she might have pursued in previous visits… might as well figure that out now… “Now that I think about it, I am a little hungry too…” She sat up and reached over to the table, grabbing one of the little cakes and popping it in her mouth.

A small part of her brain was screaming that it was completely irrational for her to be treating what was essentially her own  _rape_ so casually, but the euphoria of the afterglow was somewhat overpowering it. Vader had given her no reason to carry out her threats of mariticide, at least not so far. And however dubious the circumstances, she still had agreed to it. “Should I be planning to sleep tonight at all?”

> Vader chuckled. “Yes, I had partners before you, is that jealousy I note on your voice, My Lady?” He whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek gently.
> 
> He raised his hand and brushed his thumb over her lips, powder sugar gathering on his finger, that he brought to his mouth and sucked. “They do have great pastries here,” he extended his arm and grabbed one to himself, popping it in his mouth, chewing slowly.
> 
> Rolling his eyes, he shook his head. “You’re sore. There’s nothing else to do tonight. We can rest and tomorrow, if I haven’t created a monster that desires sex all day, every day, we can go and explore Mandalore for the day. What do you say?”
> 
> _Ah! Bet you weren’t expecting that_!

Padmé huffed, biting down a snide retort. She didn’t want him to think that she actually cared, or to know that the smugness in his voice sent shivers down her spine. Damn the man and— Then his thumb was on her lips, his eyes on her face as she watched him suck the finger clean... What god made a man this wicked and this appealing at once?

“We’ll have to see how I feel in the morning. You were.... more than I expected,” she mumbled grudgingly as she moved off the bed so she could lift up the covers before she got back into the bed. She didn’t see any point in looking for a nightgown, she was too tired to bother going through her luggage for one. Curling up on her side, she paused, briefly glancing over her shoulder to look at him again. “Good night, my lord." 

> “More than you expected? There’s a compliment somewhere in that sentence, and I’m going to accept it,” Vader laughed quietly, the action making his body shake. He raised one eyebrow at the way she curled to her side, detaching herself from him. No, not acceptable. Vader did the same as her, lifting the covers on his side and lying down, underneath the silk sheets. With one arm, he brought his petite wife against his chest. “What kind of wedding night has the bride sleeping, isolated, on her side of the bed?” He muttered at her ear.
> 
> It was a strange thing, how their bodies fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. Her height and frame fit incredibly well against his own body. An arm around her waist, and happy with her warmth, he sighed. “Good night, Padmé,” he mumbled, already preparing to drift off to sleep.

_Bastard._ His arms felt more like a cage than an embrace around her. She’d given him what he wanted, why did he have to keep pushing further and further, acting as if they’d married because they actually cared about one another? And did her body have to fit so neatly into his? Did he have to sound so affectionate as he wished her goodnight?

It took her far longer to fall asleep than it took him. Padmé had a tendency to be a restless sleeper when she was stressed, and this had been an extremely stressful time. The sound and feeling of his breath exacerbated that stress, it was impossible for her to forget it was Darth Vader holding her, Darth Vader sleeping beside her. When she finally did manage to fall asleep, her dreams were thankfully free of more sexually deviant fantasies. Instead, they featured hazy images and sounds.

 _A child’s wail. The feeling of her breath being stolen. A raging storm._ But nothing was coherent, nothing made sense, and she awoke feeling dazed, confused, and still utterly exhausted. 

> Vader groaned as he realized he had married a restless woman. Padmé moved. A lot. During the night, she somehow ended up with one arm around his chest and one leg trapping his. It was all during her unconscious state. If she realized she had been so draped over him, she would have a stroke. He realized that he needed to get used to her starfish sleeping habits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Author's note for health reasons: Please do not blow air into your lady's special place, as it can cause an air embolism.


	8. Seduction

Naturally, Vader ended up waking up first. He left her to sleep alone and went to the fresher, for a quick shower. Entering the room, he was towel drying his hair with one towel wrapped around his waist. His body still wet from the shower, he eyed his dazed wife.

“Good Morning,” he wished with a smirk. “Tell me, what invisible threats were you fighting during your sleep to give me bruises?” He tilted his head to the side. “I mean, I never slept with a woman who struggled and hogged the covers so much.” 

> “I’ll let you guess,” she retorted sourly as she pushed the mess of her curls out of her face. The frustration stemmed in part from the fact that she didn’t fully understand the dream herself. “I’m sorry for the bruises, but I’m sure they’ll heal…” As she ran her fingers through her hair, they snagged in a particularly ugly knot. “Ugh, I need my brush before these snarls become permanent. I don’t suppose you’ve already found it or one of the droids unpacked it? That would make things a lot easier.”
> 
> It was then that she noticed the state he was in. “You better not have used up all the hot water,” she warned, slowly trying to sit up only to feel the ache between her legs return with a vengeance. “Ohhhh…. I need a soak more than usual this morning.”
> 
> She pulled the sheet with her as she managed to stand and start towards the fresher. "Be a little gentler with me next time, will you?”

As she passed him for the fresher, Vader grabbed her elbow and spun her to face him, Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her, stealing both of their breaths. He couldn’t resist her. In the morning, there was a natural beauty to her delicate features and slim body, a glow of the aftermath of their first intimate night together. Vader could not wait until she became more comfortable with him. He wanted to spend the nights teaching her, pleasing her. Showing her that they didn’t have to fight, that he wasn’t all that she made of him.

When he saw her for the first time in the Senate, he had been but a teenager. A sixteen-year-old, too much uncontrollable power in his blood and the hot temperament made him unstable and unworthy. Her voice, her perfume, and her presence… it had all attracted him. To finally be married to her (even under the circumstances that made her accept his request) it opened so many opportunities for him. For her.

Vader would gladly turn her into his Empress.

From her face to her shoulders, his hands traveled a path to push the sheet away. Pulling her naked body flushed against his, he didn’t break the kiss, letting his hands roam her body freely until they grabbed her ass, moving up again, his finger trailing her spine. He broke the kiss, pecking her lips softly. “I promise,” he winked. “Take your time, I’ll be waiting for you to have breakfast,” Vader said as he moved towards one of his trunks to grab his clothing.

After he was dressed in casual black clothing, without the usual heavy robes, he sat at the breakfast table, watching the Holo News. Their wedding was everywhere. They were talking about every detail. They spent one hour talking about her dress – which had more details than he realized when he started to hear about it. 

> The kiss caught her more than a little off guard, especially considering how... tender it was. As if he’d been reading one of the trashy three-credit romances she knew Dormé liked to read. If he had been anyone else, she might have found the gesture romantic, but as it was, all she could do was think about the night before, and what he’d made of her. She hated how his hands seemed to know exactly how to move in order to stimulate her and make her traitorous body want him, without even asking her permission! The fact that he took away the only thing that felt like a shield between the two of them only made it worse.
> 
> When he released her, her lips had become swollen and red from the amount of pressure he’d applied. “Asking permission would be appreciated too. Being given it once does not mean you have it forever,” she warned, grabbing a handful of hairpins and twisting them into the knot of her hair so that it would be out of the way while she bathed.
> 
> He had not used up all the hot water, which was a relief to her sore muscles as she sank into the filled tub, even causing her to let out a moan, not unlike the ones she’d been making the night before. She stayed in the water until her fingers wrinkled then returned to the bedroom of the suite, a towel wrapped as tightly as possible around her body as possible.
> 
> “I suppose they’re going to move on to my hair next,” she quipped, rummaging through her own luggage to find both her brush and an outfit that he wouldn’t be tempted to rip off her right away, which ruled out the first dress she found, a spectra-faded pink and yellow dress with billowing sleeves and almost no back... No, that one looked like it might fall off if she so much as sneezed.
> 
> Finally, she found one that satisfied her, a pale lilac sheath dress with an attached cape decorated with the same serpentine gold beading as the bust. Demure, but undeniably regal and befitting a... Princess. “It would not surprise me at all if every bride for the next year and a half were trying to mimic Lady Amidala’s gown, it’s truly spectacular,” the woman on the Holo continued. “But obviously no one is ever going to make as stunning a couple as the two of them do, any children they have will undoubtedly leave a trail of lovesick admirers.”
> 
> “How can you watch this kind of drivel?” Padmé asked as she ducked behind the changing screen. “It’s absurd.”

“Your hair was before. I missed it, unfortunately. I’m sure they’ve talked about all of the thousands of curls you had,” he grinned before raising his head from the datapad.

As she came into sight, his yellow eyes followed her every movement until she hid behind the changing screen. _Beautiful_ , was his only thought. Vader chuckled. “We are on every channel, sweetheart, there’s nothing else to see. They have specialists analyzing every piece of our wedding. It’s like they’re dissecting a holobook and every plot twist,” he actually laughed. “The hottest couple on the Galaxy, someone said. I’m inclined to agree,” Vader was teasing her because he knew the terms would infuriate her.

“Do you want to go for a walk after breakfast?” Vader changed topics. “Mandalore is beautiful, as you might know. However, I would advise if we stick to the gardens since there are a few reporters outside,” he grimaced. 

> “Well, it will be the last time anyone outside the family and my handmaidens will ever see my hair unbound,” she pointed out, abandoning the towel as she pulled the dress on and did up the seam under her left arm. “It’s tradition on Naboo. Young, unmarried women wear their hair loose unless they are serving in a political capacity. Once they marry, that is supposed to be a sight reserved for their spouse alone.”
> 
> Emerging from behind the screen, she crossed over to the vanity and pulled out her temporary pins to start brushing her hair in preparation for a real style for the day. “Would it not be preferable if they did catch at least a few shots of us?” she suggested grudgingly between a mouthful of pins as she started coiling and arranging the strands of chestnut into an artful nest. “I don’t doubt that your Master might have sent at least one of them to see what we’re up to.”

Vader raised from his chair and came to stand behind her. “Good,” he leaned down to kiss the curve of her neck. “I do love to see your hair down. It’s one of my favorite things,” he nuzzled her before meeting her eyes through the mirror. “I don’t care if it’s preferable. I would rather not deal with those vultures today. When I said make it convincing that we are completely in love with each other, I didn’t mean get caught at every opportunity by the Holonet. We are on our honeymoon and we have the right to have some privacy,” he sighed. “We’re newlyweds, I think Sidious is aware of what we are up to,” he smirked.

> “It was just a suggestion,” Padmé huffed, pushing him away from her neck. “And not all reporters are wholly terrible. You don’t exactly make it easy for me to know what it is you want, my lord, I’m not a mind reader.”
> 
> With the last pin in place, she turned around to look up at him directly. “I don’t want to spend the entire time we’re here just in this complex, even if it does include the gardens. Mandalore has a lot more to offer than just this palace, and I would like to be able to see it.”

Vader stepped back as she pushed him away. A part of him snarled at her actions. _I’m your husband, you don’t push me away!_ However, he said nothing, choosing the silence and resilience over losing his cool. “I don’t like reporters. Simple as that. They’re a necessary evil sometimes, but one I try to avoid. It’s very easy to know what I want, my lady, I want some peace and quiet on my honeymoon, isn’t that natural?”

“Of course not, I don’t want that either,” Vader agreed. “Then let’s know Mandalore. Let’s head into the heart of the town. Visit a couple of the local shops. Do a little shopping. If that’s what you wish, my lady, I will gladly comply. It’s nothing too far-fetched, something normal for a couple to do,” he crossed his arms over his chest.

> “I don’t think I need any more clothes. but... maybe there will be some trinkets my nieces might like,” she mused quietly. “But, if I might make a suggestion in the art of body language...” Reaching out, she took his arms and unfolded them. “Crossed arms make you look angrier than usual. Not at all like a man who just became the envy of the galaxy by marrying the woman he loves.”

“You say that now, but I want to see if that comes true,” Vader teased her. “Women…dresses and shoes are your weakness, truly,” he chuckled. He was surprised by the willing contact she made with him, unfolding his arms. “I’ll keep that in mind. But if you don’t want to see me with my arms crossed during our little walk, I suggest you prepare to hold my hand for a few hours,” he quipped. “Let’s head down for breakfast and then we’ll leave for the town. I think we can even have a nice lunch outside.”

> She rolled her eyes, standing up and moving towards the door. “Delighted to know you have such a high opinion of my entire sex.” The man was utterly mind boggling to her, but since there would be servants watching them, possibly even reporting back to the Emperor, she offered her arm for him to take. “Come on, then. Or aren’t you hungry?”

They settled for breakfast on the gardens, before leaving the Palace. As Vader expected there were Holonet reporters all around and soon everyone was trying to take their picture. Fortunately, the handful of troops they had were able to keep them at a safe distance.

They entered a market on the city center and he kept a tight grip of his wife’s hand. Several little shops selling their own craft, a few jewelry showcases where several sparkling stones caught his attention. He tugged his wife towards the little shop where the man did everything to please him. As he should, Vader thought before pointing at a gold necklace on display. “I want that one.”

“You have excellent taste, My Lord.”

“I know,” he smirked looking at his wife. After the necklace was wrapped and paid for, he gave it to Padmé. “It’s for you.” 

> “You shouldn’t have,” she said, smiling at him with feigned warmth while aggressively thinking _because I am never going to wear it, and you’ve just wasted your money._ “You’ve given me so much already.”
> 
> “We also do commission work if you ever require anything special, milady,” the shopkeeper offered, clearly overeager with the hefty sum Vader had paid.
> 
> “I’ll keep that in mind,” Padmé said, trying not to roll her eyes. “My lord, I heard there’s some kind of a display happening at the fountains soon, I’d like to be able to see what it is. Shall we go?”

Vader didn’t even bother to force a smile to the shopkeeper. As he walked away, towards the fountain, with his wife, he squeezed her hand. Hard. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear. “One thing you will do well to remember is that as the most Force-sensitive creature on this Galaxy, I can read your emotions like an open book. Your thoughts too, if I so do wish, but I would rather not unless you give me a reason to. I am giving you gifts. You should be thankful,” he pulled away, with a smile on his lips.

“Let’s see the display, my love, then, hmm?” Vader released some of the hold on her hand, and started walking again, pulling with him his bride. 

> “As it happens, I _meant_ for you to hear them,” she shot back through a clenched smile, before thinking the rest as hard as possible. _I will not be thankful for gifts that are meant to bribe me out of objecting to what you’ve done to me._
> 
> The display turned out to be some kind of engineering that made the water appear to dance through the air. There were a few other couples in attendance, but the majority of the spectators were young children, many of whom stopped to whisper and point at the approaching Crown Prince and Princess. Under their innocent gazes, Padmé felt exposed and vulnerable.
> 
> “I... I want to go back,” she stammered, looking away awkwardly. “I... I’m not feeling well.”

Vader scowled at her defiance. He chose to ignore his bad humor because they were in public and the last thing he needed was to make a scene. He got interested in the display, due to the methods that they used to make the water float around them, and through the air like it weighed nothing.

He felt her retreating into her shell, becoming shy and self-conscious. “You’re perfectly fine, and I want to see the rest of it,” Vader didn’t even look at her, he responded quietly as he kept observing the show. He had become used to the glances, the whispering, and the pointing. She had to. It was her life now and she better become used to it. 

> “Bastard,” she muttered, tempted to fake collapsing from heat exhaustion, but that would probably just result in him resorting to some kind of dirty trick to get her into bed again.  Someone tugged at her skirt and she looked down to see a little girl holding a wreath of flowers up to her.
> 
> “I made you a crown,” the child whispered, “but it’s not very good—”
> 
> “It’s lovely, thank you.” Padmé knelt down and bowed her head. “I’d be honored if you’d put it on for me.” The little girl squeaked in delight and complied with the request before rushing back to whisper to a gaggle of her friends about it. Padmé straightened, looking at her husband. “How does it look?”

Vader looked at her and chuckled. “It looks adorable,” he complimented. “It was a very talented little girl,” he added. “See? If we had left, she wouldn’t have given you that.”

The show was over and the crowd started to disperse. “Do you wish to go somewhere else?” Vader asked. “Or do you still want to go home?” He raised his eyebrows. “We do have two weeks on the planet, Padmé, if we see everything today, we need to find something else to occupy ourselves.”

He had one or two ideas in mind, and if she was a smart woman, she would get there. 

> “I think lunch might help settle my stomach,” Padmé said, noticing that there were a few reporters hanging at the edge of the square. Reluctantly, she wrapped an arm around his neck and leaned closer to him. “Right now, I think you need to kiss me,” she whispered. “They’re watching us.”

“Then lunch it is,” Vader replied in a whisper as he brushed his lips against hers and then claimed them in a slow, passionate kiss. For the Senator, it was to sell a good story. To protect the ones she loved. For him? It was about the pleasure her taste brought him. It was about exploring the woman he had married. It was about a new adventure that he was starting to realize, was much more dangerous than he initially thought. “Shall we search for something that pleases us both, Lady Vader?” 

> Padmé briefly thought to the smaller, more intimate venues she used to visit with Satine when she’d come to visit on ‘diplomatic missions,’ including the last one they’d gone to before the Siege of Mandalore, the one that had officially put the system under Imperial control and cost the lives of, among countless others, Satine and the former Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. Two dear friends that Padmé had never truly gotten to say goodbye to.
> 
> “So long as it’s somewhere that has a private dining room where we won’t be bothered, I don’t care,” she answered, realizing that Vader was probably still waiting for an answer. “And then, maybe… we go back to the palace...” She awkwardly slipped her hand into his hair and pressed their foreheads together, giving the reporters some more material. “Where you can… continue my education.”

Vader saw her lost in old memories but said nothing. He waited for her answer, and then nodded, agreeing. A private setting would be the best for them both. “I know a restaurant, it’s on the way to the Palace. I’m sure they’ll have a private table for us,” he said and raised his eyebrows at her contact. He briefly closed his eyes, enjoying how her hands tangled themselves into his thick, blonde locks, before opening them. “Sarcasm will get you nowhere, my love,” he brought his lips to her ear. “I’ll continue your education whenever I deem fit,” pulling back, he smirked at her. “I think today you need to rest. I was, after all, too much for you last night, was I not?”

> “I think you’re going to be more than enough for the rest of my life, my husband,” she answered, playing coy for the spectators while shooting daggers directly at him in her mind. She did not want to be reminded of their first night more than was absolutely necessary, particularly how _good_ it had felt at times.
> 
> Then she remembered that she had to do what was necessary. Her family depended on it, her life depended on it… And so she let her hand slip down to rest on his chest. “I was always very good at handling more than people expected me to. Given time, I might surprise you. But I think you’re right. Lunch first.”

“Good. That’s exactly what I want,” Vader grinned dangerously at her. “You’re always surprising me, my lady, why do I think I’ve chosen you?” he rolled his eyes, taking her hand before they’ve started walking to the restaurant.

As he imagined, it had a private table. Just for them. After he sat, he relaxed in his chair. It was different than being the Emperor’s lap dog. Soon, it would be different and he would be the ruler. It was all a matter of time.

“What is the next step in your education that you would like to take?” He was teasing her, of course, but it was so easy. “There are so many things I have yet to teach you,” he mused as he took his glass to his lips and sipped a drink.

> “What would you most like for me to learn?” she countered, raising her own glass of wine and looking at him from over the rim. “I’ve never really thought about it, my lord. As you saw for yourself last night, I’m a complete novice to the arts of the bedroom.” As she took a sip, the alcohol burned its way down her throat and straight to her heart, leaving her gasping softly.
> 
> “Stronger than I’m used to,” she murmured, fully aware of the double entendre. This was a long, slow game, but it was one she had to play. “But I think I’ll adapt.” She watched her husband carefully, wondering what his reaction would be, and wishing that she had the Force like he did if only to level the playing field.
> 
> But, she was simply a woman, and she had nothing to go on but her own intuition and the knowledge of the night before. So the entire meal ended up feeling like she was defusing an explosive of some kind. She desperately hoped that was not going to be how the rest of her life was going to be, nothing but tense conversations and… sex. She hadn’t forgotten his warning that she would be sharing his bed every night.

Vader smiled over the rim of his glass, and took a long sip of his wine, before shrugging and picking up the menu. “There are a lot of things for you to know. I know what I saw, my dear wife, and I know what I can reduce you to,” he smirked, flashing her a dangerous look. “Maybe next time I’ll let you on top for a little while?” Vader suggested with a raise of his eyebrow. “Or maybe I’ll just take you from behind. There are infinite options. I’ll think about the next lesson,” he winked.

“Oh, I know you will. You’re very…flexible,”Vader chuckled and set the menu down, signaling the waiter. “Maybe we should order, no? The sooner we’re home, the sooner we can begin your lesson.”

> “I’ll trust your judgment on the food,” she mumbled, growing more and more uncomfortable with just _how_ suggestive their conversation was becoming. By the end of the meal, she’d picked most of the white paint off her thumbnails from nervousness.
> 
> “Well… back to the Palace, then?” she asked quietly. She would not call it home, it was Satine’s home, stolen from her friend along with her planet and her life.

“Don’t sound like you are heading to your doom, my lady, you did enjoy yourself last night,” as he helped her stand from her seat, he leaned down to her ear. “You were very expressive,” planting a kiss below her ear, he paid for their lunch and took her hand.

At the Palace, he retrieved his datapad from the bedroom. “I’ll be just doing a couple of things. You can do whatever you want,” he said with a smirk, knowing that he had promised her one thing and getting another. “Our lesson will be delayed, Senator,” he stated leaving for the office, where he laid down on the couch and opened a game on his datapad. 

> Padmé’s jaw dropped, and she stormed after him, bursting straight into the office. “No. No, no, no.” She snatched the datapad directly out of his hand, her scowl widening when she saw what was on the screen. “A game. How _kriffing_ fitting! That’s what all of this is to you, isn’t it? You were going to let me sit and stew for a few hours until I was begging you to bed me again while you were sitting here and enjoying yourself!”
> 
> Slamming the datapad down, she moved to put both hands on either side of him in an attempt at mimicking his own way of caging her in. “I am not some toy to be played with, and if you keep doing this to me, you will find yourself sleeping on couches exactly like this one, no matter where we are. Do I make myself clear?”

His eyes darkened with her actions and Vader wanting nothing more than to tear her dress and take her there, on the couch. Maybe he would. He grabbed her waist and pulled her directly on top of him. Leaning his head forward, he claimed her lips ferociously. “Maybe I was, but this? This feisty little being? Is the best reaction I could have hoped for,” Vader breathed. “Maybe you deserve a lesson of being on top after all.”

> “I deserve far more than lessons,” Padmé shot back even as she ripped open his shirt and bit down on his neck. “If you’re going to make me your princess, or Empress, or anything like that, I want to be treated like it. No matter where we are.” She was fully aware that this wasn’t at all what she was normally like, but there was something slightly intoxicating about the moment, about having any kind of leverage over Vader.
> 
> “Kiss me like I’m a goddess,” she groaned into his shoulder. “If I’m going to spend every night in your bed, I want you to _worship_ me when I’m there.”

Vader had been right when he had said that his wife would be full of surprises. He wasn’t expecting her attack on him. The way she was behaving was so alluring and captivating, he couldn’t help but just stare at her as a wave of arousal hit him. Hissing at her bite in his shoulder and grabbed her waist, rocking his hips against her own, making her feel just how her behavior was affecting him.

He rose from the couch, with her in his arms. The desk was nearby and he sat her on the edge while using the Force to expel everything on top of it to the floor. “You are going to be my Empress,” he teased her with a low whisper, brushing his lips against her own, as his hands traveled down her back to rip her dress off of her, leaving her in just her practically naked. “I will worship you,” he vowed, as his lips trailed down her chin, to her neck, just a feather-like touch, until he bit down on her pulse point and sucked. Hard. Releasing her skin, he soothed the sting with his tongue, raising his head.

“I prefer you like this. Feisty. It’s so sexy on you. The uptight Senator that everyone knows, can be wild and untamed. I love it,” he pushed her down on the desk. “Tell me,” he demanded, running his hands down her body. “Tell me what you want.” 

> “Who says I’m going to tell you?” she asked, smiling defiantly up at him. “Maybe what I want is for you to earn the right to know what I want.” There was still the slightest of barriers between them with the thin silk of her undergarments, and that gave her the small boost of courage she needed in order to slip down and move away from him, making her path back towards the bedroom.
> 
> “Why don’t you come here,” she said, looking over her shoulder at him as she braced her arms against the door, “and we’ll see about starting _your_ lessons?”
> 
> _Be good. Be the wife he wants. Keep him interested and you can survive._ That was the doctrine by which she had to live now, but she was going to do her best. Maybe, if she did things right now, he’d be eating out of the palm of her hand by the time they returned to Coruscant.


	9. Eruption

“Sweet talking me to gain my trust isn’t going to work.”

“I didn’t really think it would. You don’t trust anyone except yourself. But I thought it might have convinced you to let my existence here be a little more tolerable.” Six months of marriage had proven to be Padmé’s breaking point. Six months of simpering and complimenting and suffering his attentions before the mask cracked and she couldn’t take another minute. Now, all the annoyance and impatience was finally escaping, and as much as she knew it was a good way to get herself killed, it felt too cathartic to stop.  

> “You’re right, I don’t,” Vader’s eyes hardened. No one was ever nice to him just because. The only one had been a nine-year-old girl that frowned when he didn’t know how to hug her back. “More tolerable? You thought I would melt at the sweet words? Like I would be naive enough to think they were out of the goodness of your heart.”

“It’s not as if this marriage is built on anything besides your lust and ambition,” she retorted, crossing her arms as she glared up at him. “I thought saying the kind of things you wanted to hear would make you feel I was compliant enough not to bother yourself with me more than necessary. Was I not enough of a good little girl for your liking on Mandalore?” 

> Vader scoffed. “I don’t want you to say nice things to me because you think that will quiet me down,” he growled, eyes flashing bright yellow. “You are so wrong about me, Senator,” glad that she had a bed behind her, he pushed her onto the mattress and climbed on top of her, securing her wrists above her head, and making sure her knees wouldn’t reach any critical areas of his body. “That’s what you wanted? You were a good little girl so I took what I wanted and just be done with you?” He laughed. “Now, that’s pathetic.”

“About as pathetic as using blackmail to get a woman to marry you,” she shot back, trying to wriggle free. “This position really is rather accurate for the entirety of our relationship, you know. You having to cage me in like a wild animal so that you can take what you want.”

> “You think I regret that? That argument will never affect me, love,” Vader’s smug smile was a reflection of his words. “Are you going to deny the pleasure that I give you? My love, you enjoyed being the good girl in Mandalore. You enjoyed having me control you, please you in ways that made you see stars and you still have much to learn,” Vader cooed, running the tip of his nose from the beginning of her cleavage up to her chin. “Any good girl should learn how to please her husband. That I have yet to teach you,” his yellow eyes darkened with lust. “Every scream, every orgasm, every rocking of your hips against mine was voluntary, was desired by you and your traitorous body,” his voice had adopted a husky tone and he pressed her down against the mattress with his own body. “Just like I know arousal is pooling between your legs and your core is burning right now.”

“Sexual stimulation is not the same thing as true pleasure,” she replied defiantly, managing to raise her head far enough to bite his shoulder, even drawing blood. “And it’s not as if I have anything to compare you to. But that was part of the allure for you, wasn’t it? My virginity was a prize to you as much as the rest of me.” She spat the last sentence out, and the blood that had pooled on her lips when she bit him splattered up onto his chest as she did so. “I hope you enjoyed me being the good girl because it’s not going to be happening again.” 

> Vader hissed in pain at her bite. Well, she had sharp teeth and there was one thing he would never put in her mouth…he snarled as he used the Force to push her down and held her there. “Well, aren’t we bold and ferocious today,” he stated. “The fact that I have been the only man to touch you, to make you come over, and over again, is very pleasing to me, yes and I’m not worried about your good girl facade disappearing. Handling a bad girl is much more fun,” calling the Force, he used an invisible iron grip to keep her hands pinned above her head. With his free hand, he touched his shoulder and saw the blood on his fingers. He pursed his lips and again, searching in the Force, the bite slowly healed. “Haven’t you realized yet, I own you?” He said, so simply, like he was talking about the weather.
> 
> Using only the Force to have her pinned down to the mattress, her corset came undone fast and was throw to the floor and he removed the skirts in haste, knowing that he did rip one or two. Standing underneath him in only her underwear, he locked his lips at her throat, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down her collarbone, his tongue licking up and down the valley of her breasts, before he went lower, down her stomach, belly button.

Padmé shouted at every one of his touches, even going so far as to lapse into Gungan profanities that she’d picked up during visits with their various Bosses. Directing so much of her anger into yelling at him when she couldn’t fight back was the best way to keep her mind off the fact that, as usual, the smug bastard knew exactly what he was doing. 

> As he pressed a kiss against her covered sex, his comm interrupted them, somewhere on the ground. Vader growled, raising his head only slightly. When the beeping eventually stopped, he hooked his fingers under the waistband of her underwear, ready to remove it when…it beeped again. With a frustrated sigh, he summoned the comm and answered it with an angry, “What?”
> 
> “You’re needed. Now,” Dara snapped back.
> 
> Knowing something was happening, he backed off of his wife, pulling back on his use of the Force, releasing the hold on her. He got dressed in seconds. “Tonight you are learning that you don’t speak to me like that,” he quipped darkly as he left her, alone, in the middle of his bed.

It gave her a savage delight when his comm interrupted his ministrations. “Please, take your time, dear,” she retorted snidely as she sat up, rubbing at her wrists and the marks he’d left. “I’ll find other ways of keeping myself entertained, once I’ve washed off any trace of this nonsense.”

Part of her knew that she was just adding fuel to the fire, but she didn’t care. Mandalore had been his domain, but it had also been the point where she’d decided she was done being a piece rather than a player. Granted, she knew exactly how every single time would play out, he always held the final say, the threat of hurting her family if she failed to comply, but she could fight, and she would fight for as long as possible.

Heading towards the fresher, she looked over her shoulder to call out for the protocol droid. “Threepio, will you please tell Dormé to get me some new clothes for when I’m done washing up?”

“I’m not really sure if that’s going to make the master happy—”

“The master gave you to me to help me, Threepio,” Padmé reminded him sweetly. “And he’s welcome to take the issue up with me later. Now, please. Go tell Dormé to get me a dress for when I’m out of the fresher.”  

> Vader was in a foul mood for the rest of the day. He was antsy, annoyed and frustrated and that showed in his heated words or how he lashed out at his troops, who then had to be comforted by Dara. Vader went through an excruciatingly long meeting with Sidious, his Master going to the point of smiling and asking how married life was treating him. Vader quipped back nonchalant but inside he was seething with hatred. Sidious was realizing Padmé was rebelling against him, and Vader had to put a stop to that.
> 
> They’d come back from Mandalore almost six months ago, and she was crazy if she thought he was letting her get away with being an absolute brat. Vader missed dinner, and it wasn’t until later that he entered her rooms, startling the handmaidens and the protocol droid.
> 
> “Dormé, Sabé, you can retire. Now,” he said in a calm and collected voice. “Threepio, go to another room and power down.”
> 
> While the protocol droid was quick to obey to his Master, the handmaidens were unsure but the glaring of the Sith made them leave, quietly. Vader slammed the door shut, locking the door silently. “You’re misbehaving,” he clicked his tongue as he removed his gloves and his heavy, dark coat. “I thought we had an agreement. You’re not doing your part of the deal,” with few steps, he was invading her personal space and slamming her against the wall.
> 
> “I dare you to scream,” he hissed lowly, one of his hands coming up to rest on her collarbone, ready to wrap itself around her neck. “I **_will_ ** gag you. Don’t try me,” he threatened. “The Emperor asked me how married life was…he seemed very pleased with himself,” his hand got a little higher. “Do you know if he discovers the agreement that we have, he will take the absolute pleasure of torturing you? Making you wish for death?” his thumb traced the column of her throat slowly. “I thought you would be smarter than that, but no, apparently, you think you know everything, don’t you?” He growled.

Dormé and Sabé had made sure there was no trace of the day’s earlier incident, even going so far as to make sure that the sheets were switched out, and the dress they’d provided was another of her more conservative ones, which also helped to hide the marks he’d left on her. Dinner without him had been an equally appreciated respite, but any good mood she might have had dissipated when he isolated them once again and pinned her against the wall.

“I’ve been counting on you biting the hand that feeds you and putting an end to the problem that the Emperor poses,” she retorted, reaching up to try and move his hand away before he completely lost his temper and asphyxiated her. “I thought I might give you a little more incentive to get the job done. Or does the idea of having me as your Empress no longer inspire you?”

Six months ago, she would never have spoken so callously about the murder of another person, even someone as despicable as Palpatine. It was frightening how quickly one could change in a suffocating relationship with a knife hanging over one’s head. “I’m fairly certain I’m honoring the deal. You married me. And I don’t just lie there when you bed me. I behave in the public eye, and the people still aren’t aware of the farce. That’s everything you asked of me, that’s what you’re getting. If you’re so worried about Palpatine, make good on the promises you made.”

She pressed her hand against his chest, trying to get him to move away. “Newlyweds fight when the honeymoon is over, my lord, it’s only natural. After all, we don’t get each other’s undivided attention anymore, and I get restless if I don’t have something to do. Take better care of me, and maybe we wouldn’t have... problems like this afternoon.”  

> “Stop trying to push me away. You’re being ridiculous,” Vader growled, pushing her back against the wall, all her efforts to move away from him were hopeless. “That’s not how it works. From one day to the other. I do plan on taking Sidious down, but I had a thousand of variables to account for and when he goes down, it will be big, it will be a spectacle and the Galaxy will respect me as the new Emperor,” he raised his chin slightly. “Don’t pretend you are dying to be my Empress,” Vader spat, annoyed. “I’m not losing interest in you, I’m losing my patience with you. Which is much, much worse.”
> 
> Vader glared at her. “No, you don’t just lie there. You scream and shout every time I touch you or kiss you and that’s getting very annoying, very fast. I am not a patient man. It’s been six months. I’m getting tired of you. Annoyed. Exhausted,” he scowled. “Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking when I believed that you were worth the trouble!”
> 
> Honestly, he didn’t even know what he wanted to do to her right now. “You want something to do? Start spending time at the Emperor’s court, meeting who you need to meet when undoubtedly you become Empress. Make yourself known. People still think you are the uptight, goody-two-shoes former Queen of Naboo,” he narrowed his eyes. “Take better care of you? What? I don’t shower you with affection, is that it? Should I buy you more clothes?”

“You could treat me more like a person!” she answered, trying not to break down in front of him. “And less like a prize that you’re entitled to! You’re not the only one who’s tired, or annoyed, or exhausted, I am too. I didn’t want you, I never wanted you, but you forced me to accept you! At every turn, I’m caged in, subject to your whims and desires while my own are ignored! I’m tired of being summoned to your bed like a harem concubine, I’m annoyed by the callous way you don’t care about anyone but yourself, and I am exhausted by the sheer amount of _fucking_ that I’ve had to take!”

All the energy went out of her and she slackened against the wall, her shoulders shaking. “What would be the point? Another parade of sycophants and backstabbers calling me a whore when they think I’m out of earshot and laughing at me and my bleeding heart! There’s no place for the sweet little Queen of Naboo in the Imperial Court, you know it and I know it!”

She was begging the man she had married to treat her like a person. To acknowledge that she had feelings, feelings that warranted acknowledgment and validity! This wasn’t fair, this wasn’t right, this was insane. “I’m your whore...” she choked out. “That’s all I am now. It’s all I can ever be again.”

> Vader dropped his hand, losing all physical contact with her. His face was unreadable. “Go ahead. Throw yourself a pity party,” he said. “Throw yourself a huge pity party. Once you’re done and you take that party hat off, understand that people will talk and will try to hurt you. It is in their nature to be cruel. To hurt others. Using words as knives. Your job is to make sure that you are not affected. Unless you believe their words, unless you think you _are_ a whore, then please, hide out in your rooms forever. You are what **you** want and not what people **say** you are,” he scowled and moved away from her.
> 
> “Instead of using your new position as leverage, you keep being the martyr. You really don’t know how to use things to your advantage, do you?” Vader snorted and shook his head. “Stay there. Be miserable. Wallow in self-pity. Let me know how that works out for you.”
> 
> He grabbed his cloak again. “I am leaving in the morning. I’m heading to the Outer Rim regions and I don’t know when I’ll be back. Take that time to catch your breath from all the fucking, from my whims and desires. Once I’m back, I’ll decide once and for all what I’m doing with you,” he wrapped the black, heavy material around his shoulders. “I should have just followed orders that night,” he hissed as he left her room.
> 
> “Echo, Fives, you are dismissed from your posts,” he told the two troops, who felt shocked with the decision. Vader couldn’t see their faces, hidden behind the helmets. “Head back to meet with the Battalion.”
> 
> “What about Lady Vader’s safety?” Echo asked.
> 
> “Dara will handle it more discreetly,” Vader said. “Now leave.”
> 
> The troops hesitantly nodded and saluted him, and left. After six months, he had expected them to create some sort of loyalty to his wife. She wouldn’t be without protection, it would be just a more discreet one.

Of all the things he could have said to her, that was the one that chilled her most to the bone. The idea that he should have just run his lightsaber through her body and ended her life was one that had crossed her mind dozens of times, but for him to say it… It made her wonder what it was that kept him from doing it when she wasn’t complying.

And that thought made something inside of her snap. If he wanted her to use things to her advantage, fine. Far be it from her to disobey the man who owned her. He didn’t say what kind of things she was or wasn’t allowed to use, like say…. the office that just happened to adjoin their rooms and she knew how to get into. Or the files that he kept in there.

He might not have realized it, but her _dear_ husband had just reinvigorated her interest in serving the Alliance. So she would play the long game as his sweet, simpering trophy, but only because that was going to cover her as she orchestrated the fall of his master’s regime. If Vader was in the Outer Rim, it would be the perfect time for the Rebels to find a shipyard in the Middle Rim and raid it thoroughly.


	10. Destruction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning for this chapter: physical abuse/violence and rape by way of Force mind-tricks.  
> If this triggers you, stop reading at the words "Don’t forget I own you," then use the find feature to jump to "This is how a wife should behave."

“Keep still, Lord Vader, we are tending to your wounds,” the med-droid's emotionless voice, made Vader frown and groan at the bright light above him.

How had he gotten here? Lying, bleeding to death, on the sterile table of the improvised med-bay of his ship? It was simple. His **_wife_** had betrayed him and gave the Rebels the location of the secret plans he had kept hidden away in his office. It was the only explanation Vader could find to be in this situation right now.

Vader had left Coruscant three standard weeks ago.The plans were to destroy a few Rebel bases their spies had revealed, but do it as secretly as possible, disguising the plans and recon missions. Of course that by getting the hands on their plans before Vader and his troops could put it in action, gave them the advantage of being one hundred and ten percent ready.They had the upper hand and Vader had the disgust to admit he had failed and almost died in the process. It started by blowing up their camp, killing a handful of his troops instantly. It was a bloodbath from there on. Tired and spent of using the Force to protect him from several bombings and blasters, Vader had been ambushed by four Rebels, two of them Jedi. He’d managed the kill the two non-Jedi, but not before he was hit in the thigh and the shoulder with their blasters, and then it was a battle between him and the two skilled Jedi that took advantage of his lack of strength at the moment.

They had the upper hand and Vader had the disgust to admit he had failed and almost died in the process. It started by blowing up their camp, killing a handful of his troops instantly. It was a bloodbath from there on. Tired and spent of using the Force to protect him from several bombings and blasters, Vader had been ambushed by four Rebels, two of them Jedi. He’d managed the kill the two non-Jedi, but not before he was hit in the thigh and the shoulder with their blasters, and then it was a battle between him and the two skilled Jedi that took advantage of his lack of strength at the moment.

Vader feels one the lightsabers brush his abdomen, burning his flesh, and the other going down his back. He saw black spots on his vision. All he remembers before fainting was Dara’s two angry red lightsabers.

“You, for the first time since we’ve met, had me worried,” the Togruta girl said quietly from his side. “What happened? How did they ambush us? Their numbers…the weapons…they had time to prepare!”

Vader swallowed, his body hurting everywhere. “I think I know.”

“The Emperor was concerned for you. We should be landing in Coruscant in a few minutes. You were wounded, gravely. I tried to use the Force, it didn’t serve much. Maybe Sidious…”

“He won’t do it. I’m pretty sure he’s upset I didn’t die once and for all,” Vader drawled out.

They landed in Coruscant and Vader was moved to the med-bay where he was left recovering. Sidious would stop by the next morning, since he was off planet, handling the Banking Clan. Vader sighed, staring at the ceiling. Anger boiling inside of him. _She betrayed me._   

> They’d given the report to Padmé immediately, and a horrible sickening feeling had immediately set in. The information she’d passed along to the Alliance had been parsecs away from Vader, and she hadn’t told them where he was going, so how had this happened? Had she accidentally taken more of the data than she’d meant to?

> Vader was going to kill her. This was exactly why she had tried to aim small, to only give the Alliance the supplies they needed to keep up the fight, not directly put Vader in harm’s way. That was exactly how she would be implicated, and her family endangered. How was she going to handle this...
> 
> She paced the room, hand pressed to her temple as she fretted. Dormé and Sabé watched her silently, knowing better to say anything that might damn her. “He has to make it... he’s too stubborn to die,” she told herself. Of course, that meant she was still doomed.
> 
> “Milady, Lord Vader’s been transferred to the med-bay. You’ll have to get cleared to see him, but it shouldn’t be a problem,” a trooper she didn't recognize informed her. Padmé bit her lip, knowing that probably wasn’t the case, but still headed down to the hall to find him. She knew she’d have to admit her guilt, but it would be better if she told the truth... wouldn’t it?

Vader tried to move and hissed, his body protested. The more serious wounds in his stomach and back, were slowly healing and he wanted to accelerate the process with the Force, but it didn’t come to it strongly, almost like telling him to lay down and rest. Take advantage of the time off. He hated being sick. Hurt. Dara wasn’t strong enough to heal him and Sidious would never do it, he never did. For training purposes, he would say.

“My Lord, your wife is here to see you.”

 _Oh, the traitor,_ he sighed. He had no strength to fight her. He didn’t want to. Vader kept replaying their last encounter three weeks ago and he knows…he knows he has to get rid of her. She’s making him lose focus. Something about her…her smile, her eyes…it’s affecting him. The last time, the way she spoke, the way she acted when he touched her, like he was torturing her…Vader scowled. He should have ended her there. He should have taught her a lesson. But no, he let her off the hook, as always.

No, no more. He would exile her to Naboo. Make up an excuse for Sidious. Say someone of her family had fallen very, very ill and she was needed there. Hell, as long as she stayed away from him…

“My Lord?”

“Yes, yes, whatever, send her in,” he hissed and the clone saluted him.

“Surprised that I’m not dead? I gotta hand it to you. It was close this time. Well played,” he said dryly, staring at the white wall instead of her. 

> He looked terrible. Vulnerable. Almost pathetic. And she didn’t find any enjoyment in seeing him like that, nor in hearing him accuse her. She cringed under his accusation and closed the door behind her, making sure they were alone. “I didn’t want you dead,” she confessed, taking a seat beside him. “I honestly thought I was just giving them the location a shipyard in the Middle Rim, far away from you. I didn’t think anyone would get hurt like this…”

> Of course, as soon as she said it, she realized just how childish and utterly naïve that sounded. How stupid and blind she’d been. “I know you won’t believe me, but that’s the truth, and I truly am sorry you were hurt. You can punish me however you want for this, I’ll willingly accept all the consequences, I’ll be good, I’ll do whatever it is you want, just please… please, don’t let this affect my family.”

Vader sighed, annoyed. Whenever she did something wrong, she always came crying, pleading for him to leave her family be. He didn’t want to hurt her family. His mind flashes to their wedding, and sweet little Pooja…he couldn’t. However, it’s the only leverage he has on her, and for now, he’ll keep it, even if he doesn’t have true intentions of hurting them. Maybe…when they first made their pact…he did. Now…he was different and that was incredibly annoying.

“They will be fine, Padmé,” he growls menacingly. “I won’t touch them. I don’t wish to hurt them,” Vader gritted his teeth.”However, if Sidious knows that **you** were the one to betray us, that will quickly change and with the state I’m in, I won’t be able to protect anyone.”

Closing his eyes, he shook his head. “I will solve the situation myself. I won’t tell him what happened in truth. There are others who can take the fall for you,” Vader muttered. “Traitors. Low lives. People you don’t have to feel guilty about…”

Then he turned to her. “As for you, I want _nothing_. I want you to be quiet, tell no one what you’ve done and make sure you don’t step out of the line. Sidious won’t hesitate to execute you for treason. I’ll guess you have to portray the part of the worried wife for a while, but don’t worry, not for long.”   

> She nodded, biting back tears. The failure stung bitterly, and, to add insult to injury, she knew she could never possibly help the Alliance again. They might even consider her an enemy now, might blame her for the casualties Vader and his men would have inflicted in battle, as well as the ones that would surely come as retribution.
> 
> “I can have Threepio get some things from your rooms so that you’re not bored out of your mind while you’re convalescing in here,” she offered quietly, bowing her head in the very picture of a dutifully devoted wife. There was nothing else for her to be now, after all.
> 
> Slowly, she rose and pressed a kiss to his forehead, an empty gesture that needed to be done just for the sake of bringing herself back into the lie that she was living. “Will you need anything else, my lord?”

Vader ignored the tears she held back and the regret that flooded her Force signature. “I will be transferred to my rooms tomorrow afternoon, I won’t need anything to be brought here,” he told her, staring at the ceiling as a way to try and keep calm, distracted. Fortunately, some of the painkillers were starting to make an effect on him. Vader swallowed a gasp as she kissed his forehead. Why? She didn’t have to pretend with no one around. Yet, he couldn’t deny how a shiver went down his hurt body at the contact of her lips to her skin.

Then he was reminded of the way she shouted as he touched her— like he was assaulting her. “No. Nothing. Once I’m recovered and this ambush is behind us, we will make arrangements for you to leave,” he said, his voice emotionless. “I was wrong about you,” he whispered. 

> __Wrong_ _ _about me how?_ she wondered, freezing where she stood. “My lord? I’m not sure I understand, I’m not scheduled to see my family for another month at least...”

> _What was happening? Was this his way of saying he was divorcing her? Was he preparing to throw her out so that an assassin could quietly deal with her, disgraced ex-wife as she would be?_

“You will visit them sooner. Three days,” Vader looked down at the covers. He had high hopes for her. For them. That even after the initial conflict, they could come to terms with each other. Rule the Galaxy together. Compromise. Vader hoped that she would eventually start to…no, he was so, so, so stupid. Why would she ever care? He would have what he wanted. After this betrayal, his focus shifted. She thought she was married to a monster? Then so be it. “Once you are back, you won’t be allowed to leave again. Not until you birth my heir. After he or she is born, our marriage will be over and you are going back to Naboo..” 

> She gawked at him in horror. He couldn’t be serious, it had to be the painkillers and fatigue talking, even Vader wouldn’t be that needlessly cruel! Forcing her jaw to close, she swallowed, deciding not to acknowledge what he had said and to disregard it as the ramblings of an angered, drug-riddled man. If three days were all she had on Naboo for a long time, she had to make the most of them, without letting her beast of a husband ruin it.

> “Get some rest, you clearly need it,” she muttered as she left the room to start packing.

The following day, he was transferred to his rooms. It was more comfortable and more private. He went through the plans over and over again. Padmé had confessed the previous night and her information did not match the information on the mission. Could she have made a mistake, after all? But even as a mistake…she gladly gave the Rebels, sensitive Imperial intel. He couldn’t trust again, he would need to have Fives or Echo always on her tail, and he needed to lock his office. With Dara’s help, he was able to find a low-life spy of the Empire to offer to the Emperor to take the fall. Sidious didn’t look pleased, that morning, after a brief meeting in the med-bay. It was like he was waiting for a different outcome, but had to hold his tongue.

He requested for Rex to get his wife. Padmé had thought he was kidding about what he had said, but he wasn’t. She had betrayed him, nearly cost him his life…the illusion that he created for what could happen with them, was gone. He would only ask her for an heir, after Sidious was gone, but not at the moment. She was a liability and he wanted her out of the Palace.    

> Padmé entered the room with her head down— it had essentially been her permanent state since he’d returned to the palace, that was how ashamed she was of everything that she’d done. And the feeling of his gaze on her only made her feel worse. But that wasn’t to say she wanted to consider the mandate he’d handed down.

When she arrived, Vader eyed her coldly. “I wasn’t playing around last night. With what I said. You can go to Naboo one last time, but before you return – probably as a single woman again – I want a child and you are going to give it to me. I didn’t hand you to the Emperor. Don’t make me regret that decision as well.”   

> “I can assure you, you will have no reason to worry about another incident,” she answered quietly. “I’ve learned my lesson. But you cannot seriously expect me to adhere to this... grotesque arrangement! I would prefer a lifetime leashed to you than condemning an innocent child to the same fate! However much you may keep from me, I do know that it is beyond the capability of the Sith to truly love! I can stand to live without love. A child cannot.”

> It was a defiant statement, but one that needed to be said. “I’ve already scheduled my departure, so I will see you upon my return, my lord. I hope you recover quickly.” With that, she turned and left before he could say anything else to her.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Three days in Naboo did not feel like a respite, they felt like she was chained to the spot as a storm kept rushing closer and closer towards her, a bolt of lightning promising to strike her as soon as it reached her. Her family tried to reach out to her, to understand what was happening, but she just brushed it off as being worried about her husband.
> 
> And when it came time for her to return to Coruscant, she hugged every single one of them so tightly she thought they might burst, but she had to do it. She was probably never going to see them again, not if Vader really was going to make good on his threats. “I love you all... so much...” she whispered as she stepped onto the ship and watched them disappear as the door closed. “Goodbye....”
> 
> Coruscant was waiting for her like a mausoleum, preparing to permanently entomb her. 

Three days later, he was out of his rooms but his powers haven’t returned full force. Dara had found a traitor to hand to the Emperor and Vader had assisted to his execution. For the first time in his life he felt…pity. Maybe regret. The man pleaded for his innocence and he was right, however, he couldn’t allow that his wife took that place. Even if she was driving him insane and making him act out, Vader wanted her to live. He needed his heir. _Even if you didn’t, you wouldn’t want her to die,_ the little traitorous voice whispered.

Even if they had the traitor, Sidious wasn’t happy. He launched a huge investigation on what happened and Vader was trying to show his displeasure of the situation. He had been hurt and Dara had taken out his assailants. The Rebels were dead. The spy was dead. Now what? Sidious was trying to dig up something with this investigation and Vader feared that the old corpse might know the truth. But he would lie. Lie until the end. Pretend. _Lie_ for her. **_Suffer_ ** for her.

His lips curled back in a sneer. _Why should I suffer for her? Why does her rejection affect me so?_ Shaking his head, golden locks falling in his eyes, he kept his way to the hangar. Padmé would be arriving soon. _She is going to give me my heir, even if I have to force her._ He stopped, horrified. No, he wouldn’t… He would never…do that sort of thing.

 **_This!_ ** This was the hell she had him in. Two sides of him fighting to be right, fighting to be heard. He could separate the light from the dark. However, both sides had one thing in common. They wanted her. Only her. Vader felt displeasure at the feeling.

 **I do know that it is beyond the capability of the Sith to truly love!** Her words cut like a knife. For her to accuse him that he wouldn’t love their child…his child was probably the only person he would ever, ever truly love. Anger raged inside of him at her defiance, at her words. He wanted to hurt her, make her regret them.

As the ship landed, there was a deep scowl etched on his face. Damn this woman. If she could only have his baby and disappear from his life again, it would be much appreciated. “Sidious wants to see us both in the throne room. Apparently, he has found it strange that you left your husband – that almost died – and just went to Naboo,” he raised his eyebrows. “Careful with your answer. He’s suspicious. One reason to distrust us and he’ll kill you instantly. Just follow my lead,” he turned and headed to the Palace again, not bothering with small talk or sweet nothings.   

> _I did what you told me to do_ , she thought bitterly.  Even so, she was carefully working out what it was she would say when she was asked. That she was afraid she would be in the way came to mind. That it pained her too much to see him in such a state, and she had needed the time to collect herself. That she was worried about the safety of her own family, under his protection.
> 
> The throne room was barely lit when they entered, Palpatine’s eyes almost glowing from beneath the shadow of his hood in the already dim light. “My dear, dear Padmé, so very glad to see you returned to us,” he said coldly, looking down at her as though she were a piece of excrement on the bottom of his shoe. “But I must ask what took you from us, particularly considering Lord Vader’s condition upon your departure.”
> 
> Put on the spot so quickly, there was no way for Vader to give her a lead to follow, but improvisation had always been one of Padmé’s stronger suits. Immediately, she knelt, practically penitence made flesh before the old man. “I was terrified, your Majesty. To see my beloved husband in such a state, when I thought no one would ever be able to touch him, let alone harm him… I knew I wouldn’t have been of any help to his recovery if I stayed here worrying over him, so I tried to stay out of the way by leaving to seek comfort with my family on Naboo.”
> 
> Closing her eyes, she offered up a silent prayer to anyone who might be listening. _Let him believe this, please, please, please, I beg of you. I don’t want to die. I don’t…_

Vader stood a few feet behind Padmé. Eyes cold as the ice of Hoth, he stared right ahead. His only defense was raising his mental shield, protecting Padmé’s mind as well. Even though his attitude towards his wife has changed and would continue to change, he couldn’t risk Sidious finding out the truth. Protecting her was protecting his secrets.

Secretly, he was pleased to hear her excuse. It had been very similar to what he has said to Sidious. When his Master turned his angry and sick yellow eyes to him, Vader managed a small smirk. “See, Master? Just as I told you,” he started, content. “I was the one to insist that she left.”

“One is always curious,” Sidious said dryly. “How are you today, Lord Vader?”

“Even stronger, Master,” Vader replied, and approaching his wife, he grabbed her arm and pulled her upward. “If you excuse us, my wife and I have been apart for a while now. I would like to spend some time alone with her.”

Sitting back on his throne, Sidious nodded. “Of course. You’re dismissed.”

With a slight bow, he all but dragged Padmé with him, far from the throne room. Towards his chambers. When both were inside, he locked the doors. His plans were in motion. He had given his orders to Dara the day before. They were to start uncovering the hidden contracts and deals of Sidious with other rulers around the Galaxy. A few of the advisers in Sidious’ court were in his pocket and would slip him information whenever they could.

In silence, he went to his desk and picked a flimsi. “I took the initiative to draw a contract…much like the one we signed when we were married. This one, however, states how you can earn your freedom,” he pressed it into her hands. “It says that after you grant me an heir or heiress, we will have an amicable divorce. You will move back to Naboo, but you are not allowed to come back to the Senate or Coruscant. Nor are you allowed to be part of my child’s life. There are statements prepared for the Holonet, if necessary. We were growing apart but stayed together until the birth, but we couldn’t do it any longer. By that time, however, I will have the power over the news and they will talk about what I want them to. If I don’t want them to talk about the divorce, about you leaving, they won’t. You and the rest of your family will be at peace, the Empire will never bother you again.”

After he gave her the short version, he stood quietly for a few minutes, leaving her to absorb the information. “I have to confess that I had high hopes for you. Becoming an Empress would allow you to make a change. You just had to earn my trust. If I trusted you, I would have let you do some of the things you had been tirelessly speaking in the Senate. You broke my trust,” he hissed. “You almost had me killed. Believe me when I tell you that I’m what’s protecting. If I died, Sidious would have killed you the next second.”   

> Padmé gripped the contract so tightly that it crumpled and nearly tore. “I have no interest in getting power that belongs to the people. Or in giving you what you want. But the latter far outstrips the former at this point, so I may well end up being your Empress regardless. I refuse to leave any child, including mine, alone with the likes of you.”

> He was a monster. There was no longer a single trace of doubt in her mind, any chance he might have had of being a good person, or her caring about him was gone now.
> 
> “You really want to lecture me about trust, after everything you’ve done to me? You’ve only ever trusted me so long as I was your biddable little pet, easy to control! Neither of us has ever had any reason to trust the other, and you know it! I _told_ you, I had no interest in seeing you dead, I did not tell them where you were going! Yes, I betrayed your precious Empire, and I _am_ sorry you were hurt for it, but I do not regret the intentions I had behind it. This much control over so many people should not be in one person’s hands. Not the Emperor’s, not yours, and not mine.” She slammed the flimsi down, looking straight into his eyes with the briefest flash of defiance. “Keep your contract. It won’t matter, because I will _never_ fulfill the terms you’re setting down. They’re positively repulsive.” 

He saw red. It was the only way he could describe the rage he felt at the moment. Bigger than her, a head taller, he grabbed her by the arms and slammed her against the wall behind her. Vader’s yellow eyes were blazing with intensity. The repressed emotions of a failed mission and the hurt he had been through, making themselves known. Pumping the poison that was anger through his blood. The Force screamed around him, as he narrowed his eyes at her.

“Don’t forget I own you,” Vader snapped. “You’re my wife. You have obligations before **me** ! I have had enough of you talking back to me, of letting me know how much you hate me and despise me, and you know something? I probably cared, in the beginning. But your whining has grown tiresome and **_you will do as I say_ ** ,” he clenched his jaw. _Here he is. The monster you so claimed me to be. Are you happy now?_ “You **_are_ ** going to give me what I want. You **_are_ ** going to give me a child. I don’t care if it’s the last time I will bed you. You don’t have a choice.”   

> Her head smashed into the paneling, possibly to the point of a concussion, she had no way of knowing when her entire mind was being assaulted. Combined with the strike to her head and its resulting disorientation, she might as well have been struck by lightning, her entire being seemed to go numb, her own will replaced with the command. _**Do as I say.**_

> Mutely, she nodded, dropping one of her shoulders in such a way that her sleeve slid down, exposing bare skin for him to touch and taste as he saw fit. And she closed her eyes. Whether that was a choice of her own or simply following the compulsion he had laid into her, she did not know, but it was to the effect of what he wanted.

> “Yes, my Lord,” she whispered hazily.

Vader’s eyes widened a little. Did he just… mind trick her? It should have made him step back and take a good look at the situation but it didn’t. He didn’t step back or leave her alone until her mind cleared from the compulsion. No, he had unleashed the cruel monster that he had nurtured inside of him and what Vader wanted, was to take what he wanted.

“Good,” he replied in a whisper before locking his lips with her, his hands leaving her shoulder in favor of tearing the rest of her dress off of her, making sure he had access to all of her ivory skin.

A part of him knew it was wrong, but he didn’t listen to it. Vader picked her up and took her to his bed, laying her down on top of the black and red covers, covering her entire body with kisses and caresses. No struggle. No screams. No kicks or snide remarks.

 _This is how a wife should behave_ , the Dark Side that occupied him purred happily inside of him.

* * *

Padmé awoke to her entire body aching, and her head throbbing. Her memories of what had happened before were… hazy… she vaguely remembered hitting her head, and him touching her… Then the ache worsened and she whimpered.

“V-Vader…” she stammered his name out as she looked around and tried to piece together what had passed between them after… after…

Then she realized that she wasn’t wearing anything. That there were bruises where he’d gripped her and marks where he had kissed her. And that there was a distinct feeling between her legs, one she knew meant… “No,” she whispered, her voice cracking with horror. He couldn’t have… surely even _he_ wouldn’t have gone that far. “No…”  

> _“Oh Ani, what has happened to you?”_
> 
> _When he opened his eyes, Vader was back in Tatooine, in the small hut he used to share with his Mother. He swallowed the lump in his throat, his mouth dry and heart heavy. “Mom?”_
> 
> _“Ani, this isn’t you,” she was just like he remembered. He could almost cry. “What you did…”_
> 
> _Shaking his head, Vader holds back the sting of tears. “I didn’t…mean to. I don’t…it was the dark side, Mom…”_
> 
> _“Don’t make excuses, Ani, what have I told you about telling the truth?” Shmi chided in gently. Vader lifted his head. Shmi touched his cheek. “This is not the little boy I’ve raised.”_
> 
> _“No, this is what Sidious made of me,” Vader spat, venom lacing his voice. “He made me a monster. I acted like one. I took what I wanted. I…” he closed his eyes. “I regret it, Mom.”_
> 
> _“I know you do, I can see it in your eyes,” Shmi whispered. “It doesn’t change the fact that you did something horrible. She didn’t deserve that you treated her like that.”_
> 
> _“I’m so sorry, Mom,” he whimpered, ashamed._
> 
> _“I’m not the one you should apologize, Ani,” Shmi said gently. “You need to apologize to her. Amend your mistakes. Prove that you are better than the monster she thinks you are. I know my sweet boy. I know he’s in there. He just needs guidance. I know you’ll do the right thing, my sweetheart.”_
> 
> _“Mom…don’t leave me again…please don’t…”_
> 
> With a sharp intake of breath, he sat on the bed, looking around dazed. “Padmé…” he called, before his eyes finally found her and he felt instant regret of what he had done. Shame coursed through his body, and his eyes fell down on the bed. “I am so, so sorry,” he whispers. “I…I don’t know…I have no excuse, I…” he stuck to silence. There were no excuses, nothing that he could say that would change what had transpired. “I’m sorry. I…what can I do?”

“Get away from me.” Padmé pulled away from him so fast that she fell from the bed to the floor and had to hastily scramble back up to her feet, bracing herself against the wall. “Just leave me alone.” She had to get away from him, she couldn’t stay in this room.

Rex caught her as she practically fell out of the door, taking a hanging from the wall and wrapping it around her naked body. “Steady on, milady. Looks like you’ve got a nasty bump on your head. I can have a medical droid brought over here—”

“No.” She cut him off coldly. “My rooms. I will be in my rooms. Help me get there, then send the droid.”

“Yes, milady.” He helped her walk back to her adjoining suite where Dormé and Sabé rushed to help her. “I’ll see about that droid.”

“Good, good, make sure that you do,” Sabé said, helping Padmé towards the fresher as Dormé started the water in the bath. “Do you want to tell us what happened?”

“No,” Padmé said, shaking her head. “I don’t want to think about it at all.”  

> Vader never felt so lost in the darkness like the following hours of her leaving his room. What had he done? Never in his life had he resorted to this sort of dirty trick. Never had he wanted to do it. Last night…he was so blinded by the hatred that he felt. Of her betrayal and his failure. But…making Padmé be submissive using the Force?

> It was a new low. This was the sort of thing Sidious would be proud of, something he would do, but Vader…Vader was disgusted with himself.
> 
> He sat up and got dressed. When he left the bedroom, Rex seemed startled. “Lady Amidala is in her chambers, my Lord.”
> 
> Vader nodded. “Make sure Fives and Echo are back on their posts. See that she gets all of the medical help she needs. Take care of…everything, Rex, please. I’ll be in my office. I don’t want to be disturbed. At all.”
> 
> There was a frown on the soldier’s face and Vader wondered what he knew. “Certainly, sir,” he ended up saying, shoulders dropping.

Padmé stayed in the bath for hours, staring vacantly up at the ceiling as Sabé and Dormé went about covering for her.  _Damn you, Vader,_ she thought bitterly, _and damn me for ever taking your offer. I hope that you burn for this._

“My lady, the medical droid is here to see you,” C-3PO informed her, and Padmé winced at the interruption. “Shall I tell them to come back later?”

“No, send it in. I assume it’s waterproof.” She didn’t care to listen to what the droid’s designation was, she just followed its instructions, moving as it directed her and nodding as it spoke.

“…check to confirm in the next few days…”

“Confirm what?” she asked, getting some measure of interest from the words. “What did you just say?”

“Cross-referencing your reproductive calendar, my lady, I would advise you to have me or a sentient physician visit you again. Considering that your last relations with your husband were clearly unprotected, there is a rather high likelihood of conception.”

Padmé screamed. In frustration, in anguish, in sheer hopelessness. Conception. A child, **his** child, growing inside her. _Damn you, damn you, damn you, Vader! I wish I_ **_had_** _meant to tell the Rebels, maybe then they would have actually finished you off!_    

> Vader had been to his office. Then, he had been summoned by Sidious. The Emperor looked extremely pleased at the dark cloud hovering over the couple. While Vader seethed in self-pity and disgust, Sidious went on and on about tightening his control on the Galaxy.
> 
> _More hunger. More death. More pain._
> 
> Vader felt an uncontrollable amount of anger surging through his veins. Sidious was a monster and he had turned him into one. After he left the throne room, he went to the training room. He trained and wielded his lightsaber against every obstacle, invisible enemies, the thin air…he did it until he was soaking with sweat, beads dripping down his forehead.
> 
> There was no excuse for what he had done to Padmé. From the beginning. From the day he blackmailed her into marrying him. He was a monster. A heartless beast. What had he done? Why…?
> 
> Sitting down on the mat, he looked at his wrists. He had been thirteen when he first tried it. Taking his own life. Everything was too much and he wanted to be gone. He wanted to die. He still has the long, white scars. on each wrist. He was found by one of the aids and Sidious had patched him up with the Force, just enough for him to survive, and then he tortured him for hours with Sith lightning. He had promised then that no one would ever hurt him again…he would be the one hurting others…
> 
> _But wouldn’t it have been better? For me to die?_
> 
> Vader rose from the floor and headed to his bedroom. Rex was already waiting for him. If he noticed the awful state his General was in, he didn’t make any comment. “My Lord, the med-droid has provided me with some information about Lady Amidala.”
> 
> “What?”
> 
> Rex looked uncomfortable. “She had a concussion, bruising,” and the self-hate and self-loathing just keeps growing inside of the Sith lord. “And she’s going to be tested in a few days for…confirmation. The med-droid said it was probably possible that she conceived.”
> 
> Vader almost fainted. **No. Not like this. Please. No.** “You’re dismissed,” he said brusquely, entering his bedroom.
> 
> Was he having a panic attack? He was having a panic attack.

With the droid gone, Padmé locked herself in her room. She didn’t want to see the pity on her handmaiden’s faces, she didn’t want Vader coming in to make any sort of apology, and she didn’t even want Threepio nearby. Her mind was a storm-tossed sea at the moment, trying to weigh her options.

There was no way Vader was going to allow for even the slightest chance of anything happening to her or any child there might or might not be. He’d made it very clear what he wanted, and the lengths he was willing to go for it.

Starving herself would lead to him having her put in a medbay, force feeding her the necessary nutrients by whatever means he needed. If he needed to, she wouldn’t have put it past him to have her committed to an asylum until the child was born. Wouldn’t that be convenient for him, poor, sweet young Amidala, unable to handle the pressure of being a princess, losing her mind in the hysteria of a pregnancy…

It made her sick, sick enough that she was ready to vomit. But that didn’t mean she was pregnant, just disgusted. Conception took up to five days to actually happen. There might be a chance she wasn’t pregnant… but then how long before Vader got fed up with waiting and forced her again?    

> Vader summoned Sabé, so he could relay a message to her. He wouldn’t impose his presence to Padmé, he couldn’t. He had no right. When the handmaiden entered, if looks could kill, he would be six feet under ground.
> 
> “I want you to give a message to my wife.”
> 
> Sabé raised one eyebrow. “If you weren’t the Crown Prince…” she muttered under her breath.
> 
> He sighed, not having the strength to fight her. “Give her my apologies. I know they are worthless, and won’t solve or erase anything of what I’ve done. Give her anything she wants, needs…whatever you deem necessary. I was informed of the med-droid’s expectations and I want her to know…it wasn’t like this. It was not what I wanted.”
> 
> The handmaiden bit her tongue. Vader deduced that it was to keep herself from firing a few well deserved words.
> 
> “Anything else, my Lord?” she spat.
> 
> He shook his head. “You can go.”
> 
> She did. Slamming the door on the way out. Nodding to himself, he sat down on the armchair again and closed his eyes. This was a nightmare and his head was exploding. There was a knock on the door. “What?” he snapped.
> 
> A med-droid entered, the one that personally took care of him. “My Lord, I’ve came since you’ve programmed me to personally fetch you in case you missed your treatment. You were supposed to do it seventy two hours ago.”
> 
> Oh Force, he had forgotten. No wonder his brain was exploding. It was like it was being electrocuted. _Thank you, Master,_ he thought bitterly.
> 
> “Shall we, Lord Vader?”
> 
> He nodded numbly.

Padmé winced at the sound of the door opening. “I thought I said I wasn’t to be disturbed.”

“The royal bastard’s sent me with an apology—”

“I don’t want to hear it. Please, Sabé, just leave me be,” Padmé interrupted.

“My lady, you swore you wouldn’t let them break you, but right now, it seems as if you’re letting them win.”

“I’ve been beaten into a corner! He took away my will, made it so that I had no choice but to say yes, and now he is showing me kindness only because he’s realized what I’ve known the whole time! He’s a monster, and if he can’t have me as he wants, he’ll destroy me and take the scraps he sees as useful!”

“Then let me kill him, my lady, I am not afraid to sacrifice my life for you—”

“No! We would _both_ be killed for it, and probably poor Dormé too! I refuse to see that happen to either of you, you’ve been my only friends throughout this entire ordeal.”  Padmé finally sat up from her fetal position on the bed. “Please… I beg of you. Don’t harm him. I’ll endure. I have to. The only thing worse than what he does to me is thinking he’d do it to someone else.”

“My lady—”

“Sabé, _stop_. I want to be alone, and if I have to, I will send you home.” The threat hung in the air, softened by the love the two women knew was there, but still harsh. The former decoy clenched her jaw and bowed before stepping out of the room and leaving Padmé to stew in her misery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary for those who skipped the potentially triggering material:  
> Vader smashed Padmé against the wall so hard, it gave her a concussion and messed with her head enough to make her susceptible to mind tricks, and thus, she consented without being capable of consenting. Despite some moral conflict over it, Vader decided to go through with it.
> 
> No means no, you guys. Never do anything without real consent from your partner.


	11. Devastation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: The chapter includes some emotional, potentially triggering material. For spoilers, see the bottom notes.

Two weeks after the incident, the medical droid returned for a blood test and confirmed what Padmé had feared. She _was_ pregnant. And that knowledge made the coming days both incredibly long and oddly quick.

The only things that really marked the passage of time were the visits to the medical center to check on the progress of the child growing inside her. She always sent Vader a datastick with the results, the only interaction the two of them had anymore. He was still avoiding her in the shame of what he had done, and rightfully so. And she was avoiding him out of spite, making it very clear what he’d forfeited by violating her mind and her body. Of everyone in the royal family, only Palpatine was at all happy, and even he seemed to grow more on edge as Padmé's stomach continued to expand in accommodation of Vader's child.

Four months into the process, she was ready for the scan that revealed the gender. Physically ready, anyway. Mentally, nothing could possibly prepare her for this. Every single examination made it harder for her _not_ to connect to the little human growing inside her. This one was the worst of all, seeing the scan of the little one in front of her eyes, hearing its heart beating…

Her. Her heart beating. She was carrying a daughter. That knowledge made everything that much more complicated. It made the reality of what was happening so much… closer. She was going to be a mother to a baby girl… except that that girl’s father, who had created her through monstrous circumstances, was determined to separate the two of them.

“What names do you like?”

“You actually want my opinion on this?” Padmé asked coldly, raising an eyebrow as she looked at her husband in the doorway. This was the first time they’d actually spoken in weeks, but she didn’t have the energy to be properly angry with him. Icy disdain was all she cared to manage. “We only just found out it’s a girl, it’s not as if I’ve had time to consider anything since learning that news…” She was avoiding the question, somewhat deliberately, but she did not want him learning the name she’d given to any imaginary child when she’d been a very little girl playing at being a mother with her dolls. Those names were cherished, dear to her heart, she didn’t want him taking them. 

> “Well, yes,” Vader replied quietly, leaning against the doorway. “You probably have some names that you like and before you leave, I thought you would want to leave her with something of you. Later, in her life, I could tell her it was her Mother that chose the name before…” he sighed. “To be better for all of us, a clean break would be better suited. I would tell my daughter her Mother had died.”

“Call me superstitious, if you wish to, but I don’t think it’s such a good idea to name a child before they’re born,” she answered, deflecting the question again. “I feel as if… it might be tempting fate.” And if she gave the baby a name, she’d be even less willing to part with it, if things came to that… as it well might. She didn’t know. She didn’t know, and she was still in a state of immense conflict over the whole thing. No matter what Vader said, this was her baby too. She had a right to be in her daughter’s life, but….  

> “If that’s your belief, I’ll respect it,” Vader nodded. “However, if you do think of a name that you want, you will need to tell me before the birth. Since, after your water breaks…we won’t see each other again,” he said. “I promise she’ll be well taken care of,” he didn’t know why he was reassuring her. Padmé had served her purpose, hadn’t she? Increase his connection to the people, to the political world. His heiress. Why did he care?

“Oh, I have no doubt that you’ll make sure she wants for nothing.” _Nothing except me._ Padmé’s arms wrapped around her stomach as her shoulders shuddered. Some part at the back of her mind noticed that her legs felt slightly damp. Looking down, her eyes widened in horror at the forming red beads at the edge of her skirt.

“What…” Then a stabbing pain struck in her abdomen, and she grabbed her husband’s arm, gasping in pain. “Something…. Something’s wrong…” 

> Vader felt it before Padmé was grabbing his arm. A struggle through the Force. The little one was fading. His eyes widened in horror as he realized what was happening and he was quick to support his wife. “She’s…she’s dying…” he muttered, almost to himself. Why? Why were they losing her? _Please, hold on._
> 
> As her dress became more red, with her blood, with their child’s death, Vader didn’t waste a lot of time. He picked his wife in his arms and on his way to the med-bay of the Palace, he could feel her…his daughter, his baby…slipping away in the Force, being stolen from him, from her Mother. Something was suffocating him from the inside and he couldn’t allow it to cripple him now.
> 
> _Everything was going so, so well…too well,_ a little voice whispered in his mind. He burst through the med-bay and he had med-droids around them in seconds. He was told to set Padmé down on the table, but he refused to move from her side.
> 
> In a moment, he didn’t…he didn’t feel her anymore. Even as the med-droids fussed around his wife…it was hopeless. He closed his eyes and actually allowed a single tear escape his eyes. Gently, he took his wife’s hand and squeezed it. _We lost her. She’s gone. Dead. I lost her. I failed her. She’s dead._ “Padmé…” his voice was small.

Dying? Padmé stared up at him in shock. On a fundamental level, she understood what was happening. The baby was dying inside her, her body was taking steps to... get rid of it. But she couldn’t understand why! Every test from the emdees she’d had up until now had said they were both in perfect health, there was no reason something like this should be happening!

She screamed and sobbed as the med-droids worked around her for what felt like an eternity, still gripping her husband’s arm in wordless cries of pain. When he said her name, she knew. “I... I need to see her.”

“My lady...” the droid seemed afraid of her reaction. “I don’t think—”

“Please, just give me my daughter,” she begged, and after a moment, the droid pressed the swaddled little form into her arms and Padmé clutched her close. “I’m so sorry…”   

> The only thing Vader was able to do was to hold onto his wife’s hand as she screamed, sobbed and cried as she realized their baby was dying. The pain he was feeling was familiar… Losing someone… He knew what that was like and he couldn’t believe he had allowed it to happen again. Vader had vowed never to lose anyone ever again.
> 
> As Padmé asked to see their daughter, he released her hand. As the droid passed her the little one, he closed his eyes and looked away. Not again. Not again. Not again. “I’m going to take care of the preparations for her burial,” he whispered. “You should name her. Let’s give her that,” because that would be the only thing they were ever going to give this little girl. Her name.
> 
> The Emperor would be delighted at the news. Vader knew he felt threatened, as he should, and that the birth of this baby girl was going to doom him. Vader seethed internally at the idea of letting him know his daughter had died before even taking her first breath. “We…you need to let her go, Padmé,” his voice was soft, above a whisper. “I am so, so sorry,” he didn’t know what he was apologizing or to whom he was apologizing.
> 
> To his wife? For putting her in this situation?
> 
> To his daughter? For not protecting her?

Padmé hesitated, unable to look away from the tiny lifeless form. Then she found the name, the remembrance of an old friend whom she’d also lost for love... “Cordé,” she whispered, pressing the faintest kiss to the little forehead. “I’m so sorry, my little love...”

In that point, she would have traded anything, even her own life, for the little one in her arms to live. Slowly, she started to release her grip so that the droid could take the body from her, and then she collapsed into her husband’s arms again.

Nothing in her life had ever compared to this kind of pain and sorrow. A part of her had been forcibly ripped out of her, torn away even as she had begged the gods, any gods, even the Force, not to take her child.

But no god would be cruel enough to do this, to allow this.   

> _Cordé Skywalker. I’m so sorry, my little angel._ Vader held Padmé sobbing form in his arms, kissing her hair, every now and again. He opened his mouth several times. But nothing came out. He had no idea how to comfort his wife, but hold her in his arms. Right now, that was what he had to offer, nothing else. No words, because he was grieving and everything sounded wrong. “We’ll have a private burial tomorrow,” he spoke, at last. “We can say our goodbyes to her,” he kissed her forehead. “That’s all we can do right now,” Vader whispered, closing his eyes.
> 
> Pain, anguish, and despair found their way into his body. Feelings he had worked for years to hide, to control to ignore, were tearing him apart from the inside and he wanted nothing else than to scream in agony, get revenge. Revenge for what? Revenge on the Force for taking his child? He couldn’t! But he just wanted to know why. Why her? She had barely existed, didn’t have time to do anything, anything at all.
> 
> “I loved her so much already,” he confessed, uncharacteristically soft for him. “I hope you know that.”

“I did too...”

 _I might have stayed, and found a way to convince myself I loved you, for her sake... I was so worried that I would have to give her up, and now she’s been taken from both of us..._ She spent what must have been hours just sitting there in Vader’s arms, her body going through shakes of varied intensity as the sobs came and went. No one disturbed them, presumably due to the members of their inner circle trying to let them have this time to grieve and adjust before they buried the daughter they hadn’t truly had.

On Naboo, burial was not tradition, but rather, cremation, and the ashes cast into the Solleu River. Mourning was generally brief, with more of a focus on celebrating the life lived, but that could not be done for something like this. And she couldn’t fathom doing anything to the tiny body, nor did she have the heart to refuse her husband anything at this moment. If only for this moment, they were completely united in their grief.

> “I know,” Vader admitted quietly.
> 
> After what seemed like hours, lying there, embraced, seeking silent comfort in each other, he moved. “Allow the med-droids to take care of you. We should rest and we’ll bury her tomorrow,” he kissed her forehead and mentioned for the med-droids to approach to tend to his wife.
> 
> After the droids discharged Padmé, Vader didn’t even let her stand up. Picking her up bridal style, he held her close to his chest, as he walked towards his bedroom. The halls were empty, thanks to Dara and Dormé. He laid her on the bed and got ready to sleep. A mechanic routine in which he didn’t have to think. He slipped into the sheets beside her and laid on his side, looking at Padmé. What was she thinking? He wanted to ask but kept quiet. He didn’t want to impose his questions, she might see it as an order. Vader knew she was grieving. On that, they were never more united. He raised one hand to caress her cheek gently, for a few seconds, the trails of tears etched on her perfect porcelain skin. “Sleep,” he said quietly. “It will help.”
> 
> The fact was that for him, it didn’t. For the first time in years, he had a nightmare. About his Mother. Her death. The bright blue blade of the Jedi crossing her chest as she dropped dead at his feet. He struggled against the image, the painful loss of his daughter unlocking unwanted memories in his mind.
> 
> Vader shot up in bed, struggling to breathe, cheeks wet. He took a deep breath and sat on the bed. He needed to find balance. Lock his emotions away, focus on the Force and on his power.
> 
> But… how could he? How could he, when his daughter was dead?

Even though he had told her to sleep, she couldn’t do it. She lowered her eyelids just enough that he might be fooled into thinking she’d done so, but she couldn’t fully shut her eyes without being taunted by visions of a future they would never ever have now, so she turned away from him, onto her side, staring out the window at the skyline of Coruscant.

Tomorrow would be the most difficult day of her life. Worse than her wedding day. Worse than when she first realized she might be pregnant. Worse than every single moment her body had betrayed her and given her pleasure in his bed...

Next to her, she realized that Vader was moving next to her, his breathing growing more and more panicked and erratic. As he shot up, she slowly turned around and got on her knees, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I know...” she whispered. “I know, I can’t sleep either.”

She didn’t bother trying to tell him things would be alright. She knew that wasn’t what he needed to hear at this moment. “Just breathe,” she said instead, running a hand slowly through his hair. “Just breathe. I’m here. You’re not alone.”   

> Vader covered her hands with his but didn’t turn around. He sighed and closed his eyes as she ran her hand through his hair. The last person who did that was his Mom. His heart ached, and he swallowed it down. Everything. The pain, the loss, the grief, he had to bury it down, otherwise, he was going to explode.
> 
> But he was alone. He had always been alone. Ever since his Mother died, he had been lonely, he had no one else. Vader was alone then and he was alone now. His back was tense and he wanted very much to get up and leave. To just practice lightsaber combat, or meditate in the Force until he was numb again but he thought about the woman who just lost her child too and was attempting to comfort him. It felt wrong to just up and leave her. Instead, he just laid back down and stared at the ceiling. Gently, he tugged her down to laid on his chest. His fingers found her wavy locks and he just ran his hand from her scalp to the end of her hair. He repeated the motion in silent.
> 
> Part of him wanted to send her back to Naboo the next morning. The other part wanted her there. It was like he needed her, but he didn’t want to. He couldn’t – _wouldn’t_ – need her. He was a Sith, Vader could not form this kind of attachment.

“Tell me,” she requested softly as they lay there. “What you’re thinking. It’s human to be angry about something like this, but you can’t just... let it boil. I know I’ve never been much of a wife to you, but right now... we need each other.”

She needed something to fill the silence, or she would go mad. Outside, there was rain falling— she knew the sound so well, but that was also impossible— rain didn’t fall on Coruscant, ever. It was as if the galaxy itself were grieving with them.

“Please,” she asked again, almost begging. “Talk to me. I need you now.”  

> Vader pressed his eyes shut and tears spilled silently, running down his cheekbone. “What do you want me to say?” His voice cracks at the end and he loathes himself for allowing his weak side, for allowing Anakin to speak. “That it’s **my** fault? **I’ve** blackmailed you into marrying me, **I’ve** gotten you pregnant against your wish and **I’ve** stuck you somewhere with all the energies to make everything go wrong, is that it?” Vader takes a deep breath.
> 
> “I **wanted** her. Not because I wanted an heiress but because…” he swallowed. _I wanted someone to love me unconditionally. Someone to love me for me_. “I wanted a child,” he finished. “She’s gone, I can’t do anything about it and I just need to come to terms with it and it doesn’t fit into my mind how I will do that.”

“I don’t blame you,” she told him quietly. It was unbelievably jarring to hear him so vulnerable, so unhappy, so... heartbroken. And she was speaking rationally, things like this happened not because someone was at fault, but because the world was a terrible, terrible place where things like this happened for no reason. “It wasn’t your fault, no more than it was mine.”

She knew that gave him the opportunity to blame her, that the death of their daughter had been because she resisted him at every turn, because she hadn’t wanted this pregnancy when it began, but it didn’t matter. Because the part of her brain that wasn’t rational had already been saying those things to her for hours.

“I don’t know how to do it either. No one is ever prepared for something like this... But... I suppose we have to find our way through it together.” 

> “You’re not to blame either,” he replied quietly. She didn’t want the pregnancy. She didn’t want his child. But in the end, the small, tender touches to her stomach she thought he didn’t see, the little smile when the little one first fluttered inside of her... She had loved their baby. “I don’t want to find my way. I want to wake up tomorrow and not have to bury my daughter, that’s all I wanted,” Vader confesses, voice breaking.

“I know,” was all she could say. She hugged him tightly, moving her hands up to his hair again, remembering that that had soothed him slightly. “I know.” Keeping her arms around him, she shifted her body back onto the mattress and sat up, moving his head onto her lap. And she stayed that way until the morning sun started to rise, just sitting there, holding her husband and trying to soothe the ugly wound that had been ripped into both their souls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers: This chapter contains a miscarriage, and dealing with the immediate trauma and grieving afterward. If this material is triggering to you, by all means, skip this chapter, and wait for the next update. We understand completely.
> 
> A summary for those who might wish it: At the four-month mark (in galactic standard time, this is 140 days), Padmé lost the baby girl she was carrying, posthumously named Cordé, after one of her fallen decoys. Both she and Vader took it hard in different ways.


	12. Intrusion

They were sitting on the breakfast table. Quiet. Silence surrounded them. Vader played with his fork, not eating anything, dark bags under his fading yellow eyes. Cordé’s burial had been early in the morning, at the Gardens. Only the both of them, the two droids, Dara, Fives, Echo, Rex, Dormé and Sabé had been present.

Sidious wasn’t there. Thankfully.

Vader felt him, however, before he entered the room and he sat a little straighter. Shoulders square and jaw straight. The fork bent in his hand as Sidious entered the hall. “My dears, words cannot describe the sorrow that I feel for both of you,” Vader wanted to snort out loud, but kept it to himself. “What a tragic, tragic turn of events. Know that I’ll be here if you need me,” he nodded.

How did this man keep up this sick facade of worrying Emperor? It was sickening to Vader. “I’ve told the horrible news to the Galaxy and I’ve requested a moment of silence for the little one that never got to be.”

Vader closed his eyes. He hated that Sidious still controlled the flux of news so much. “My boy,” he set his hand on Vader’s shoulder and for a minute Vader considers picking up his lightsaber and cutting it off. “I am so very sorry. Some things are just not meant to be.”

He had told him the exact same thing after his Mother’s murder and that ticked him off. The odd familiarity of the situation not lost on him. “Thank you, Master,” he replied automatically.

“My dear, I cannot begin to understand what you are feeling,” he turned to Padmé. “Losing a child like this,” he shook his head. “So terrible. But you two are young. There is plenty of time for more children.”

“That is not something that we are discussing or will discuss for the foreseeable future,” Vader interrupted in a clipped tone.  

> Padmé had curled in on her husband, swallowing the bile rising in her throat as she’d watched the clones place the shrouded little form in the grave that had been dug for her child. She had hugged Vader close as Fives, Rex and Echo had slowly started refilling the soil in around the body.
> 
> _Goodbye, my precious child. Know that I will see you again one day… And that I am so sorry I wasn’t strong enough to keep you._
> 
> Dormé and Sabé had each laid a single white blossom on the patch of earth marking the grave before they all headed inside for breakfast. Not that Padmé could eat anything any more than her husband. And her appetite only decreased further at the arrival of the Emperor. She cringed in his presence, not even bothering to hide it, so great was her pain and discomfort.
> 
> “Come, my dear, surely you know I had no ill-intent in suggesting such things. I only meant that it would be even more tragic for you to let it deter you from attempting to raise a family in the future—”
> 
> “I don’t feel well,” Padmé interrupted, standing up and wiping at her eyes. “My lord, your majesty, I will… see you both at a later time.” Without being properly excused, she turned and fled the room before either of them could see her tears.

“Poor thing, what a terrible situation,” Sidious said and Vader stood up abruptly. “Reign in your emotions, Lord Vader,” his tone went from warm and kind to cold and unforgiving. Vader stood with his back rigid, yellow eyes shining with rage. “A Sith cannot allow himself to become so emotionally attached. Death is part of life,” he stated. “Maybe this will help you focus again on what’s truly important,” he hissed before leaving.

Vader controlled his rage in such a way, that everything around him vibrated. The Force pulsed through his veins, angry, upset, wanting a way out. With a scream, he let out a Force pulse so strong, that windows and everything made of glass shattered to a million pieces.

He sat back down on his chair, in the middle of the destruction, and placed his head on his hands. For the first time since his Mother’s death, he wept, alone.  

> Dormé and Sabé had taken the liberty of canceling all meetings that had been scheduled for the day and were now redirecting a flood of messages from various Senators, dignitaries, and even the common people, all sending their condolences in some form or another. Padmé mechanically accepted each of them with the same hollow ‘thank you,’ before going back to staring out the window.

> She didn’t know if she was going to be able to ever get back to who she was before this happened. If anything, this signaled a kind of permanence to her life with Vader. Even if he eventually stopped mourning eventually, she wasn’t certain she’d be able to handle another pregnancy. Not without being reminded of the child they’d lost. Not without an added level of paranoia that the same thing could happen again. Bail and Breha Organa were currently looking for a child to adopt because their multiple attempts to conceive and Breha’s subsequent miscarriages had gotten to the point where they put her life at risk. What if the same thing happened to Padmé?

> “My lady... it’s nearly suppertime... Would you prefer to eat in here?” Threepio offered from the doorway. She could hear it in his mechanized voice, even the droid was worried about her. “I can ask Master Vader if he would like to join you.”

> “I’m not hungry,” Padmé told him dully even as her stomach growled loudly at the fact that she had not eaten anything since before the miscarriage. “Just leave me be, Threepio.” She heard him shuffling away, and slumped against the pillows on her side of the bed, shivering despite the relative warmth of the room.

Vader spent the rest of his day locked inside his bedroom. He left Dara in charge of everything else and just disappeared for the rest of the day. His anger boiled with the need for revenge. But how? How did one obtain revenge when something happened naturally? Vader couldn’t blame anyone, if he was being honest with himself, it was his _own_ fault ****. He wasn’t perfect, far from it, and he should have acted another way while Padmé had been pregnant. He placed an incredible amount of stress on her, telling her of how she could leave after the baby was born, refusing that she had any contact with the little one she would bring into this world. Vader should have made things easier for her. So, if he needed revenge, he had to even the odds with himself.

Maybe he should send her to Naboo…her family could provide her with comforts he knew he wasn’t capable of. Her parents, her sister, her nieces…yes, it would be the best course of action given their current situation. No doubt they were worried about her, and she would enjoy leaving the Palace for a while.  

He could use this time to focus on his training. Sidious was right. Ever since he got married, since she told him that she was pregnant…he had been distracted not only from his duties but his plans to bring his Master down. This could provide him with the time and clarity needed to carry on with his life, try to get back to normal. He didn’t know how long he could grieve, would grieve, but he knew that even if the ache didn’t disappear (and he knew it wouldn’t), at least he would have to move on with his life. Carry on his plans. _Become_ Emperor. **_Destroy_ ** Sidious.

Yes. He needed that. He needed to spill blood.  

> Padmé had just started to drift off— from fatigue more than anything else, she didn’t _want_ to sleep— when the glass windows lining the far wall shattered loudly. A thick smog filled the room, filling her lungs and causing her to double over in a fit of coughing. Dark figures moved through the smoke, one of them grabbing her roughly by the waist. The jolting and rough handling made her wail in pain, and she tried to break free, but with so little energy in her body and so much pain already overwhelming her, it was pointless. “Fives…” she tried to cough out. “Echo…”

> “Keep her quiet!” someone said through the mechanized filters of their helmet, and Padmé felt cold metal binders encircle her wrists, followed by a metal grate pressing over her mouth, muffling her voice and cutting off her air. “Now, go! You know what we have to do!”
> 
> _VADER!_ Padmé screamed her husband’s name in her mind as loudly as she could. Her assailant started bolting from the room, leaping out of the destroyed window and into a waiting speeder, tearing away from the palace at a violent speed. As she continued to struggle, trying to see where they were going, she felt a prick to the back of her neck, and a sluggish feeling overtaking her. A sedative…

Vader jolted up. He felt her scream in his mind, he felt her fear, her pain and he wanted to murder whoever was doing this. He burst out of the room, lightsaber initiated, red blade lighting his way as he ran towards her bedchambers. Echo and Fives were unconscious. His lips curled up in a snarl, as he saw the destruction of her bedroom, hands gripping the lightsaber tightly.

“Lord Vader, what happened?” It was Sidious and Vader’s anger spiked to new levels. Never before had he felt this surge of protectiveness and the rage that boiled his blood making him see red.

“The Rebels took my wife,” he hissed, coldly. They were going to pay. Every last one of them. Their blood would drip from his hands. They had chosen the worst time to mess with him or his family. Vader had been bloodthirsty but without a target, now, he had one and he was going to attack it with a vengeance. They have battled before. His troops, their rebels. Blood has been spilled before. Now, this was different. Personal. They didn’t know the insanity he was able to commit.

Faintly, he heard Dara come into the room and order Echo and Fives to be taken to the med-bay. He heard Padmé’s handmaidens gasp in terror and blaming themselves. He did too. Weren’t they supposed to be her bodyguards? Where were they? The small, rational side said that they would be dead if they had been in the room.

“We should assess the situation, Lord Vader, and see what we can do about it,” Sidious said, calmly. His calm demeanor was making Vader itch to turn around and run his lightsaber through him first. “However we have to be rational. They have been wanting revenge on the Senator for some time. They knew how vulnerable you both were today. She might not even be alive anymore.”

Vader whirled around, his yellow eyes turning almost red with his anger and for a fleeting moment, he thought he saw fear flash in Sidious eyes (and was that a step back he took?). “I would feel if she was dead,” he bellowed, not caring if this was his Master, the Emperor or the Force itself. He'd lost his daughter, he wasn’t about to lose his wife. “I am going to hunt every last one of the Rebels that took her. I will murder everyone that stands in my way,” everything that was still standing in the room, shook with the power he transpired. Sidious stood his ground, but his jaw twitched. “I am going to get her back.”

“My Lord…” Rex approached him carefully and Vader eyed him sharply. “We’ve captured one of the Rebels. He’s ready for questioning.”

Vader’s lips curled up into a cruel smile. “Take me to him.”

* * *

Dara had taken the liberty of spending a little time with the Rebel herself before Vader arrived, and the result was that the man had several bruises, a black eye, and some very loosened teeth by the time she left the cell and turned him over to her teacher. "I didn't ask him anything. I figured you'd want that for yourself." There was a brief moment of unspoken support and trust between the two of them before Vader stepped into the cell. The man raised his head, giving the Sith Lord a bloody smile.

"We have your whore, Vader. If you want her back, you're going to have to do what we want.”

Vader’s blood boiled. _Padmé_. Gritting his teeth, he ignited his lightsaber, ready to kill whoever crossed his path. “You just made your last mistake.”

“How so? I assume you can get another one.”

“She is not my whore and I will make you suffer more for calling her that. If I wanted someone replaceable, I wouldn’t have chosen Padmé Amidala. Now tell me where she is before I do make your death painfully slow.”

“Oh I wish I could but you know the old saying. Give a gangster a pretty girl and, well…." The Rebel laughed hollowly, as only a dead man could. 

A loud hiss escaped Vader. “I will kill you and rip you apart if you don’t start talking. I will chase you down until the end of the Galaxy if I have to,” he growled, his red blade casting a dangerous red hue on his face, his yellow eyes blazing with hatred. “What do you want?”

“The emperor dead. And you rotting in prison forever.”

“You’re insane. Besides, I don’t negotiate with terrorists. I will find her on my own, then,” _Give a Gangster a pretty girl…_ “If you handed her to the Hutts, I am going to make sure you’ll beg me for death, because I am going to make you suffer the wrath of a thousand suns,” Sidious would be furious that he would ruin whatever deal they maintained, but if he was being serious, he had wanted to murder the Hutts ever since he was a young boy. He raised his hand, semi curled, slowly cutting the other’s intake of oxygen. “Start talking.”

“Long... live... the... Republic…" the man gasped out.

“You Rebel scum know exactly how to push my buttons, but I can fight harder than you,” Vader kept his hold tight enough to hurt and torture, but not to kill. “Talk. Where is she? Who has her? I will make you go through unbearable pain. I will break your bones and I will take pleasure in hearing you scream while I Force make them get back to their place,” he threatened.

“Doesn't... matter. You won't.... find her. Pampered little traitor's.... probably sarlaac food... by now.”

 _Sarlaac_. More and more he was convinced that she was on Tatooine and that Jabba had her. Focusing, using the Force, he broke the kidnapper’s right arm and left leg. The cracking of the bones a satisfying sound for the Sith. “She’s on Tatooine,” he stated before he invaded the intruder’s mind. “Show me,” he demanded.

“I would rather die,” the Rebel whispered, not realizing that his fear he was trying and failing to hide was showing Vader the entirety of the mission to capture Amidala and remove her from play, vengeance for the betrayal that had led to the slaughter in the Outer Rim, the one that had left Vader himself in critical condition.

“Then so be it.” With a flick of his wrist, the other one’s neck snapped. Vader growled with the anger as he marched towards his ship. Tatooine…he hasn’t been on the desert planet since he was nine…since his Mother was murdered…since he was taken, to be raised as a Sith. He had vowed never to go back there. He faltered, almost missing a step. **_For her… for her, I need to_**.


	13. Liberation

“You belong to me.”

“V…. Vader?” she stammered out his name weakly, as she searched for the source of his voice. She’d been hallucinating since her abduction and the torment that Jabba and his court had enjoyed inflicting on her had not helped her mental state. “Is this real?”  

> Everyone around him laid dead on the ground. Jabba included. His yellow eyes softened when he saw her respond to him, and he turned his lightsaber off. He knelt and picked her up, bridal style. Kissing her forehead, he closed his eyes, breathing deeply. “You’re safe now, Padmé. I’m taking you home. No one else will hurt you. I promise you,” he whispered, reassuringly. “Hold on to me.”

She tried to comply, but she was so weak that her hands slipped a few times before she managed to get them around his neck. Everything about it felt real, but she could not trust her senses, not when even her eyes seemed to be suggesting that his eyes almost looked blue. “Am I dead?” she asked hoarsely.  

> Vader almost missed his step. “No,” he said, gently but firmly. “I have you. I’m real,” he reassured her, holding her tightly as he walked the desert towards his ship. “I hate sand,” the small hate comment was unintentional and was supposed to be internal, but as the wind picked up speed, he knew there was going to be a sandstorm soon and they had to get out of here. “I’m taking you to Coruscant. You don’t have to worry about Jabba anymore. He’s gone. Every single one of them.”

“You… saved me…” Her head lolled to one side as fatigue overtook her and she fainted in his arms.

When she awoke, she was in a nest of plush blankets and pillows with C-3PO fussing over her. “Oh, thank the Maker, Mistress Padmé. I don’t know what we would have done if we had lost you!. The Master was quite distressed! She’s awake!” He started off towards the cockpit, calling out to a “Master Ani,” giving Padmé further reason to frown as she forced herself to sit up.

 _Ani_ ?

> _Why wouldn’t I?_ He thought as she passed out in his arms. Reaching his ship, he started to bark orders at a stressed Threepio. He laid Padmé down on a fort of blankets and pillows, Threepio and a med-droid hovering over her. He left them, so he could take them all out of Tatooine. Artoo whined beside him and Vader sighed. “She’ll be alright, Artoo.”
> 
> It seemed like forever, but eventually, Threepio showed up. “Master Ani, Miss Padmé is awake! Finally! Will you…” before the droid had finished, Vader was putting the ship on auto-pilot and running to her side. “Goodness,” the protocol droid said, almost like out of breath, coming up behind him.
> 
> “Padmé, can you hear me?” His voice was low but soft. Vader sat by her side and pushed the brown hair away from her face, his hand cupping her cheek. “You’re safe. How do you feel? We’re a few hours away from Coruscant, but we’ll soon be home and I’ll have a medical team check you up.”

“I don’t know,” she confessed quietly, curling into his touch with a little whimper. “I don’t know if I'll ever feel anything beyond fear after what they did… how could they?” She’d had the entire ordeal to struggle with the fact that the Alliance despised her enough now to have sold her to a ruthless gangster who had delighted in abusing and humiliating her.

She looked up at him with wide fearful eyes as she tried to think about something else, anything else. “Who’s Ani?” 

> Vader frowned. “Padmé, what did they do to you?” He tried to keep a steady voice. “They are all gone and can’t do anything now. I, however, will make the Rebels pay. I cannot let them go unpunished for what Jabba did to you. Talk to me. You can trust me. I won’t hurt you,” why didn’t she believe him? Even if she believed him a monster, hadn’t the Alliance showed her they could be even crueler than he?
> 
> At her question, he pulled back slightly. Threepio almost choked. “Why, Mistress Padmé, I am sure you heard wrong, there’s no one named Ani…”
> 
> “Threepio,” Vader called, closing his eyes briefly and the protocol droid got quiet. “It’s alright,” then he sighed and grimaced. “Ani was the nickname my Mother used for me. I haven’t been Ani for a long time but whenever we are alone, and since it’s rooted in his deepest coding, Threepio still calls me Master Ani.”
> 
> Maybe he shouldn’t have given the information so easily, but if it kept her mind off of her attack, then let it be.

“They…” She shook fearfully at the memories as they began to return.

_The beatings..._

_The names..._

_The way Jabba had groped and slobbered all over her while others laughed, the chain around her neck cutting off her air as he held tight to the leash and refused to let her break free, and the fact that even if he didn't actually rape her, he might as well have for all the humiliation and pain he was causing her..._

_The nights shivering in a cold cell as she wasn’t allowed to wear anything but the most degrading, revealing of outfits, ones that pinched and cut into her skin while leaving her exposed, guards taunting her with all the things they had planned for her…_

“No, don’t make me…. I can’t… not again, not again, please…” she begged, grabbing onto his arms as her tears flowed freely. “I can’t…” 

> Vader held on to her, keeping her down on the bed. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to talk about it. Once we are back at the Palace there will be a physician to take care of you and if you want, a med-droid to access your trauma,” he sighed angrily. “I will find the person responsible for your taking. I promise I will make them bleed and suffer and maybe – maybe – now you can understand that the Rebels are not innocent. They are as bloodthirsty as you accuse me of being,” he hated to be harsh, but it was like she only believed him when these things happened. “Now rest. We’ll be home soon. I’ll ask the ship’s med-droid to sedate you until we are on solid ground.”

“No sedatives!” she shrieked. “Don’t let them... don’t… they’ll hurt! I don’t want to sleep, I can’t sleep, they’ll come back!” Never had she looked more terrified, more inhuman, more  _insane_ in her life, her eyes were wild with fear, her voice cracking with every rise and fall in pitch. “I don’t want them to come back… stay, please, keep them away… keep them away.” 

> His eyes widened in surprise at her insane reaction. She was far from the put together Senator that he had known and he had never been happier for the blood that tainted his hands. All of those in Jabba’s court had deserved to die by his lightsaber. “Alright, alright, I’m not going anywhere, calm down,” Vader soothed her. “There won’t be any nightmares, don’t worry,” he promised as he sat closer to her. “Laid down, it will be alright...” Nodding, Vader ended up lying by her side. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her head up, to look into his yellow eyes. “No one – no one – will hurt you ever again. I promise you that. Do you trust me?”

She didn’t answer, instead just hugging him tightly as she sobbed again. Any sense of self-worth she’d had was in shambles. The Rebel Alliance had seen her as an enemy and done something far more monstrous than just killing her as a result, sinking to the same level as the Empire. Her husband had extorted a marriage out of her to use her as a pawn in political games and now had the gall to ask if she trusted him— _but he rescued me, he came for me_ …

Her entire world felt like it had been swallowed by a thick black miasma, leaving her completely at a loss for what she was supposed to think, of him, of any of this. “Why?” she asked aloud, her voice small to the point where it was almost inaudible. 

> Vader frowned. Why… why what? Why should she trust him or why had this happened to her? “Padmé, please, rest,” he asked with a sigh. “You can’t torture yourself with that. The only reason I can think about is they are vile, cruel monsters, who take their entertainment from hurting others. You have done nothing wrong. The Rebels and their allies are the ones hurting our Galaxy, don’t you see? What have you ever done to them, to deserve this? You have been nothing but an ally,” Vader ran his hands through her brown curls and hugged her tightly. “And you should trust me because no matter what, I’ll keep you safe,” he whispered.

That had not been what she had meant when she asked why. It was because she didn’t understand why he had bothered to come back for her. Hadn’t she served her purpose long enough, wasn’t she a liability once she’d gotten captured? Couldn’t he have just as easily replaced her with the next beautiful girl that inspired lust in him? Sith didn’t love, Palpatine had told her that much. Vader had had no real reason to save her…

“I married you. That’s what I did wrong. I betrayed them and married you. I turned my back on the people and the cause I believed in to save myself.” It was a fleeting moment of clarity as she was slipping away into the blackness of fatigue once more, taking traitorous comfort in his embrace as she did…   

> Vader swallowed down a response because he knew she had been through a horrible trauma. Blaming him was the natural response, but he wasn’t expecting her words to sting like this. “Being selfish is not a sin and on their side or on mine, what they did to you is wrong. You can blame me, you can hate me, but that is not going to change the fact that the Rebels just broke a couple of their morals and used you, to prove their point. They are dangerous for this Galaxy. You didn’t deserve this,” he spoke rationally as he felt her relax on his embrace. He sighed and laid his head on the pillow. Whoever did this, planned her suffering, was going to pay severely.

Padmé didn’t hear him, having already found sleep again. Somehow, Vader’s presence acted almost like a barrier around her mind, keeping anything that might have caused her pain away until they started their final descent into Coruscant.

Threepio was the one to wake them and Padmé felt a new wave of anxiety wash over her. So many awful things had happened in the days she had last been there... well, two things, but they were both so colossal and so horrible to remember.

The agonizing hours spent miscarrying Cordé, the tiny little light that had been extinguished before it even got the chance to properly burn. And then the attack on the palace that had been with the specific intent of capturing her. And everything that had resulted from it.

“What... what happens next?” she asked her husband shakily.  

> Vader brushed the hair from her face and kissed her forehead. “You’ll heal,” he said quietly, but strongly. “I know…I know that what has happened to you in these last weeks, has been terrible. It will take the best woman down. You need to rest. To properly heal. To see a physician and to talk to someone about what happened. I’ll have a proper med-droid sent to your chambers so you are able to speak your mind. I want you to be able to trust me because, as much as you hate me, I will protect you.”
> 
> Getting up, he made sure they were landing in his private hangar. “I had Threepio warn Dormé and Sabé. They are going to help you. But let me take you inside,” he started to pick her up bridal style. “Forgive me if I don’t suggest you going to Naboo right now… I don’t want you out of my sight,” he whispered as he carried her out of the ship in his arms.


	14. Conversation

As they disembarked from Vader’s ship, Dormé and Sabé practically materialized right at Vader’s side, as did Fives and Echo, the four of them making something of a human shield around the Sith Lord and the former Senator. Padmé felt like an infant, the way everyone was speaking in low, hushed tones. Like they were afraid to do anything that might upset her. But she didn’t fully mind, she was still so much in shock after what had happened that she was barely even aware of anything other than the sound of Vader’s breathing and heartbeat.

When the group had reached their suite, Vader told Dormé and Sabé to take her inside, give her a bath and make her change out of her dirty, sand-filled clothes. The handmaidens helped her to her feet, guiding her into the fresher so that they could help her change, and it was even more like she was a baby... the baby... Cordé… She let out a sob as they started filling up the bath. Dormé put her arms around her mistress in a gesture of comfort, but the movement was so sudden, Padmé shrieked and pushed her away, falling to the floor in a shaking heap.

> As they closed the door to the fresher, Vader sat on the bed and ran his hands through his hair. First, their daughter. Now, her kidnapping. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, trying very hard not to let his emotions run him. He had never felt such a whirlwind of emotions like he was right now. Grief, anger, terror, fear, fury…
> 
> As he heard her shriek, he entered the bathroom without permission and shouted at the handmaidens to leave. Now. He would take care of her. The bath was filled and prepared with her favorite salts and he took her hands, bringing her to her feet. “You need to be strong,” he whispered softly, as he helped remove the rest of her clothing. Helping her in the bathtub, Vader was quick to discard his clothes as well. He joined her, and made sure her back was against his chest, wrapping his arms protectively around her. “Don’t be uncomfortable. Forget who I am for a few hours. Please. Let me comfort you,” he had never been this vulnerable, he would never make such requests. Sidious had told him her presence was weakening him and Vader was inclined to agree.
> 
> He never meant for the Senator of Naboo to mean so much.

“Not so tight,” she requested quietly. “Please.” But she still leaned back and let herself relax slightly. Slightly. Being strong, on the other hand… she wasn’t entirely sure how to do that after everything that had happened to her within the last month. Objectively, she knew that, at some point, she would have to dress again in a way befitting her station and present a calm face to the galaxy, showing that they were not letting the Rebels defeat them.

She could never forget what had happened. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to, but how was she supposed to move on, or be strong?  

> Vader nodded, loosening his hold. After a few minutes, just standing in the hot water, he moved to grab the bottle of shampoo. “I’ll wash your hair,” he said, not leaving room for discussion. He placed a good quantity of the bottle in his hands and wove his fingers into her hair. Vader had always some sort of fascination with her long, mahogany mane. Beautiful, silky and it did not deserve to be dirty like that. Patiently, he cleaned every lock, and massaged her scalp. _See, Padmé? I can be nice_ , he wanted to tell her that, because his wife had the idea that he was a complete monster. Maybe there were a few attitude of his that lead her to that idea, but…it was who he was. With her, Vader always oscillated between two sides of him. When he decided to bring her to his life, he didn’t expect to wake up a (supposedly) dead part of him. _Anakin_.
> 
> After cleansing her hair with water, he moved to the shower gel and sponge. “May I?” Her hair was one thing, cleaning her, having to touch all of her body…he would ask. She would flinch at the most unexpected movement. He had to tread carefully.
> 
> _How pathetic you have become, my apprentice,_ Sidious’s voice sneered in his head, but Vader shook him out.
> 
> **Your time is coming, my Master.**

His hands were gentle as they moved along her hair and skin, and the steady rhythm of the care he took as he washed away all the filth and grime of Tatooine, of Jabba and his court, set her a little more at ease.

“Y-yes,” she said, nodding softly. “You may.” Even as she said it, her hands gripped the edges of the bathtub, and she breathed in and out, trying to keep herself calm. There was no reason she could not get through this. Vader might have been a Sith, he might have been evil, but she also knew that he wasn’t the kind to be unnecessarily cruel, at least not when she was in a position this miserable and vulnerable.

It might have also had something to do with the fact that they were both still mourning Cordé’s death. The Rebel attack had happened directly after the miscarriage, barely any time to properly cope with what had happened... Her right hand slipped from the marble back to her stomach, idly fingering the marks from where her skin had stretched to accommodate her growing waistline as the sorrow set in once more _._    

> Vader tried to keep his touch light and not invasive. When he saw her hand move to her stomach, he sighed. Gently he took her hand and pulled it away. “What if you go to Naboo?” He suggested. “I know that your family will take care of you. I don’t…I don’t want you out of my sight…especially after this but…I was thinking, after we buried Cordé, that your family would be able to provide you with the comfort that I am not capable and Naboo always seems to bring you to life, so I would just ask you to take a handful of Stormtroopers with you plus Dormé and Sabé and please, please, do not leave your parents property,” he said, quietly. “You can stay as long as you feel necessary,” he added before he changed his mind.
> 
> He kept cleaning her in silence, but his mind screamed. _No, no, don’t let her go. She might not come back. You’ll lose her. Of course you will._ When the more rational part of him replied, **_she was never mine._** After he was done he put the sponge away and leaned back, the water still hot enough to last for a while longer. Cordé’s loss and the added pain of her kidnapping, left him completely at loss. He knew Sidious was enjoying these past weeks. Able to act as he wanted without his apprentice getting in the way or showing too much attention to his dirty little plans.
> 
> Somehow, Vader had lost focus of everything and Sidious was taking pleasure in it.
> 
> He suddenly felt exhausted. He suddenly felt that he would rather be back in Tatooine. As a slave. Because slave or not, he had been _happy_.

“What about you?” she asked softly, turning to look at him as she slowly moved her hand so that their fingers are linked. “You shouldn’t be alone, you’re hurting too.” She thought of Varykino, she thought of the villa’s remote setting, the tranquility of the lake and the mountains standing like guardians over everything. They had only left Coruscant twice, once to go to Mandalore for their honeymoon, once when he rescued her from Jabba. Maybe…

“What if you came with me?” she offered quietly. “My family… we own a house in Naboo’s Lake Country, we could both…” Then she stopped, realizing it was pointless. Palpatine would not allow them both to leave, he needed Vader here to do his dirty work. He wouldn’t care that they both needed the time to recover from such ordeals.

“I can’t just leave you here all alone,” she whispered. “You… you need someone here who cares about you.” And some far away part of her mind realized that she meant it… That she cared about him in some bizarre way. Despite everything he’d done to her, every moment she’d despised him… He’d been there the entire time she’d wept through the loss of their daughter. He had rescued her from her captors when someone like Sidious might have argued it was better just to leave her behind to her fate. Of course, she would deny all of this later, tell herself it was simply the trauma causing her to crave comfort, but at the moment… she cared what happened to her husband.

> Vader was surprised by her words, her speech, her offer. His fading yellow eyes widened as he absorbed what she meant. He stood silent for a few minutes, basking in the small feeling of hope he dared to feel. He directed his eyes to their linked fingers. “I had all my life to prepare me for hurt and loneliness, I will be fine,” he replied quietly. “Alone protects me,” Vader added.
> 
> “I would love to, Padmé, but I can’t,” he said regretfully. “We will be dealing with a few issues. I am sure Sidious is not happy I’ve managed to destroy the entirety of the Hutt’s court. They had trading deals. I don’t regret it and I will happily suffer the consequences. They were a filthy species. They had what they deserved,” and he kissed her temple. “But I want you to go,” he urged gently. “You need it. More than me.”
> 
> He wanted to hug her. To tightly squeeze her against him, burying his face on her neck and just…thank her. For _caring_. For _worrying_. Vader knew that they were bonding over their grief.  That her worry for him wouldn’t last (why would it, anyway?). She would be back at loathing him soon, but right now, he was going to be optimistic for once and think that she had started to truly care for him, not just out of grief over the loss of their daughter. “I’ve been taking care of myself since I was nine. I will be fine. I know I’m not the comfort that you seek so I want you to leave for Naboo once you feel able to travel. I am not trying to get rid of you,” he added in a haste. “I just…” _I don’t want to break you further, I don’t know what to do, I am not capable of putting you back together._ “I just know how much your family means to you. They are worried sick. You would be pampered and loved and watched over constantly. I will be much more relaxed knowing your Mom and Dad are giving you the love you deserve right now,” he turned his head to kiss her cheek, his lips lingering more than necessary.

Padmé wondered how long she could make a show of recovering and packing for Naboo, just to make sure he was alright. She certainly wasn’t about to leave him alone where Palpatine could torment him for what had happened. But for now, her head was resting on his chest and she was willing to let that keep her where she was until the water lost the last of its heat.

When it finally got too cold, she leaned forward, carefully shifting her weight onto her feet. “We need to get out now, I think,” she told him softly. “I... I do need to eat, they did not take care of me more than keeping me alive. Several of her muscles screamed in protest as she stood and stepped out of the bath, but it didn’t stop her offering a hand to him. “Join me? Please?” 

> Unfortunately, the water didn’t remain warm for much longer. Vader was enjoying the serenity of the moment, with his wife leaning on his chest. He could pretend they were normal. That they used to do this to relax after a hard day of work. He could pretend that nothing happened. Life was unkind, however.
> 
> Vader nodded, standing up and leaving the bathtub, accepting her hand to help her out. He grabbed her bathrobe and helped her into it. Vader realized she had lost some weight, but he was going to make sure everyone would work so she had the proper nutrition and he was going to send Dormé and Sabé with her to Naboo with clear instructions.
> 
> Grabbing a few towels, in a gesture that he hoped was lighthearted, he dropped one on top of her head so she could towel dry her locks and then wrapped one around his waist, using the last towel, to dry his own hair. “Why don’t you go, lay in bed and I’ll ask the handmaidens to grab us some trays of food,” his smile was small, but significant. The doors of the fresher slid open and he went to the door. He could feel both of the girls on the other side, their worry leaking through the Force. As he opened the door, they jumped and Echo and Fives just discreetly cleared their throats.
> 
> “Go to the kitchen, prepare whatever you can think of that it’s her favorite and bring it up here. At once,” he ordered as the handmaidens faced the floor, face flushed. He then realized he was standing in front of them in just a towel. Rolling his eyes, he told them to go and entered the room again. “I just may have scared your handmaidens,” he said with a small chuckle.

The dropping of the towel on her head made her giggle slightly. She’d always hated that he could use the difference in their heights to make fun of her, but at the moment, it felt sweet, childish and innocent, and it had clearly been well meaning. “Thank you,” she said, wrapping it around her hair before she grabbed her robe and wrapped it around her body. It helped to warm her up a little. As he went to go talk to the staff, she drifted towards the bedroom.

The window had been repaired since she was taken, and one tap of her nails against it told her that it was transparisteel now, probably to protect against another attack like the last one. She couldn’t say she disapproved, it made her feel marginally safer.

“Artoo, please raise the heat a little in here,” she requested. From the corner, the little astromech beeped and rolled away on his task, just as her husband returned. “What did you do to them?” she asked in alarm. “Are they alright? Or...” Then she realized what would have done it. “Oh. Oh, my. Yes, that would do it. You might want to invest in a robe of your own." 

> Vader frowned slightly at the small accusation, but let it pass, because he wasn’t going to pick on that for a fight. “They are worried about you. They are bringing food in a little while,” he replied. “I am going to grab something from my rooms to get dressed. I’ll be back in two minutes,” Vader told her.
> 
> Wearing just a towel, he went to his rooms and got changed into a pair of silver pajama pants and a black undershirt. After that he went back to her rooms, only to be stopped by Rex at the door. “What is it?”
> 
> “The Emperor, My Lord. He wishes to see you,” Rex sighed.
> 
> “Tell him tomorrow I’ll see him,” when Rex was about to argue, Vader shook his head. “I’m not leaving my wife alone just so I can explain myself to him.”
> 
> Ending the conversation, he entered her bedroom again. “See? Less than two minutes,” he smiled gently.

“You could be a racer at that speed,” she joked halfheartedly from beneath the covers where she was sitting. “I heard Rex at the door, is everything alright?”

A stupid question to ask, really, almost nothing with them was alright and had never really been alright. They were the tragedy that just kept playing on and on with no end in sight. But she still felt obligated to ask, his face had done that thing where it went very grim and stoic, if only for a moment. Something was wrong. 

> “I am the fastest pilot in the Galaxy,” Vader pointed out as he joined her underneath the covers. He relaxed against the pillows. “Nothing that you and I need to worry about tonight. I’ll handle it in the morning.”
> 
> Then, he shivered. Looking at her bed, he frowned. “You are able to sleep with just these layers? Don’t you get cold?”

“Artoo’s meddling with the heating in here now, but I think you might be right, it’s still cold... that might be adjusting to the temperature again, though... It was awfully hot back on....” She trailed off. She was not going to think about Tatooine, she was not going to think about Tatooine,  she was not going to think about Tatooine.... She was thinking about Tatooine. Damn it all.

“I actually was raised in a small village up in the mountains of Naboo, before my family moved to Theed,” she said, changing the subject. “The snow up there was just... beautiful. And there was a crystal waterfall that was always icy cold.... Sola and I would play beside it and one of us always ended up falling in and screaming because of it. So, I kind of always knew what cold was, and part of me liked it.”  

> “That sounds perfect,” Vader said. A childhood like that, it was everything he dreamed when he was a slave. Now, he thought that he should have been happy with what he had. It was better of what he had right now. “You don’t want to know where I am from,” he averted his gaze to the ceiling. “The days were burning with heat and the nights were cold. There was nothing but sand,” he mumbled.
> 
> Fortunately, there was a knock on the door and both Dormé and Sabé entered with trays filled with food. They placed the trays on top of the trunk that was at the end of the bed. “Thank you,” Vader said pointedly and the handmaidens nodded, knowing they were being dismissed. He grabbed on tray and place it on the middle of the bed.
> 
> “Eat,” he told her sternly.

She frowned. Her mind was back on Tatooine again because his description sounded exactly like it. But he’d told her not to ask, and so she wouldn’t, instead choosing to look at what had been brought for them.

“I haven’t had hot chocolate since I was a little girl,” she whispered. “They remembered....” Taking one of the mugs, she all but drained it, ignoring how hot it felt sliding down her throat. It tasted wonderful, and a large piece of five blossom bread soothed the burning left in her mouth.

“Thank you,” she said, looking at him with an earnest if still a little sad smile. ”But you have to eat too, I know you need it just as much.” 

> Vader was entertained watching her eat and being delighted with hot chocolate. When she thanked him, he nodded. “You don’t have to thank me for taking care of you,” he tilted his head. “You’re my wife,” he explained simply.
> 
> Picking up the other mug of hot chocolate, he eyed the creamy, chocolate content and bit his lip. “Would you believe me if I told you that…” he laughed, albeit a weak and empty laugh. “I never had hot chocolate?”
> 
> In Tatooine, they weren’t entitled to have such luxuries. When he reached the Palace…he wasn’t pampered. He was right away submitted to a hard regime and training. He missed the little things in life.

“Not even once?” Padmé asked, frowning. “Surely you weren’t being trained every moment after you were born, didn’t you ever have a point where you had... a nanny? Someone who took care of you just to make sure you were alright?”

She didn’t have the faintest idea what it must have been like, being raised by the Emperor, since even after months of marriage, her husband was still very much a stranger to her. So, she picked up the mug and held it out to him. “Try it now. I’ll see if your face was anything like mine my first time. And eat something, for goodness’ sake!”

There was something childishly sweet about the way they were acting at the moment, and it might have all been a coping mechanism, but she didn’t think it mattered. They both needed each other, for the time being, after all.  

> Vader looked at the warm, brown liquid. “No, I didn’t have a nanny,” it was a final tone, meant to close that part of the conversation.
> 
> He took the mug to his lips and tasted the liquid, his eyes widening with wonder at the sweet, chocolate mixture. “This is delicious,” Vader mumbled, licking his lips. “I can’t believe I never had this,” he said in total disbelief and he rushed to finish it, even if it burned his tongue. “What else are you hiding from me?” He laughed, gently.
> 
> This moment was so…innocent, so natural, so out of their personalities, out of their relationship. Even if what surrounded them was grief and sorrow, pain and misery, stealing these brief moments of sweet nothings was a blessing.

"I received training with the rest of my handmaidens before my official coronation. They had no idea who I really was because I was only publicly known as Amidala,” she told him with a giggle, noticing that some of the hot chocolate was still above his lips, giving him a mustache that really didn’t flatter him. “Needless to say, they were rather miffed when they found out I’d been keeping it a secret from them. I always had to do the worst of the chores when I was undercover and one of them was playing the Queen.”

Bit by bit, she kept relaxing, feeling more like her old self than she had in months, possibly since they were married. Maybe it was the comfort of foods that were warm and familiar to her, maybe it was revisiting the memories of happier times, maybe it was the fact that they were talking without fighting for once, but she just... liked it.

“They kept me on that hook until I was re-elected four years later, it was absurdly immature.” 

> Vader chuckled. “Well, if I was in their position. I would do the same. The Queen doing chores? She would do the worst ones,” he placed the mug and then licking his lips. “They are your friends. Protectors. I think that no matter what, that is something that you’ll have for life and it means a lot. Loyal people by your side.”
> 
> He slid down the bed, resting against the fluffy pillows. He never had moments like these. Calm…small talk…comfortable. “Tell me more. About your time in Naboo. Your time as Queen,” he asked quietly. Vader found himself curious about his wife and her upbringing. What created such a strong and smart woman.

"My life has... always been in service to the people,” Padmé admitted quietly. “When I was very young, I volunteered for the branch of the Refugee Relief Movement that my father ran... we helped evacuate the natives of Shadda-Bi-Boran as the star in their system was collapsing, but many of the people whom we evacuated couldn’t adapt... couldn’t survive...” Her face grew somber. “After that, I joined the Legislative Youth Program. I was an Apprentice Legislator by the time I was eight and a full Junior Legislator three years later. When I was twelve, I became Princess of Theed, and then... I was elected Queen.”

She realized that she probably just sounded like she was rattling off a HoloNet biography of herself. “On Naboo...The Emperor is something of a source of shame for us,” she confessed. “We cherish democracy deeply. That was why the Queen asked me to be Senator when my term was up. She’d hoped I might remind him of his roots. Clearly, I failed there. But I’ve always felt it was my duty to do everything I possibly could to help those who haven’t had the same chances that I have.”  

> Vader listened to her, quiet and focused. He imagined everything that Padmé was telling him. He knew that she had dedicated her life to help others around the Galaxy. Removing her from her work was cruel, he thought to himself, swallowing the lump in his throat. Deep (very deep) down he knew he has chosen her because if she had become Empress, she would have kept him grounded. Vader hoped she still would. The way Sidious treated the Galaxy…it was no wonder it was drowning in battles and the blood of innocents. Vader wants to change it. He knows…he knew it wouldn’t be what a Sith should want, but as he kept spending time with his wife, he kept thinking about how deeply she was changing him.
> 
> Carefully, he reached out a hand to caress her cheek. “How are you so selfless?” Vader asked, truly curious. “I’ve never known someone who wanted the good of others so badly as you do.”
> 
> He is a complete stranger to those feelings. Compassion, love, selflessness, caring…he didn’t know the meaning. He knew that if he were to feel them, he wouldn’t be able to name them. The only thing that Sidious had been teaching him since he was nine was hate. Hatred for the weak being below you. Hatred for the rebels. Hatred for the ones who do not agree with your views. Passion for power. Passion for the pain.
> 
> “What do you get in return?” Vader sighed as he absentmindedly played with one of her curls.  “Nothing. People don’t appreciate your sacrifices. Or your help.”

“I wouldn’t say that I get nothing,” she whispered, catching his hand in hers. “It can seem… so small, but the feeling is just immense. The knowledge that people are better off because of my actions, the idea that I made a difference. And a lot of people have appreciated it over the years. Queen Jamillia… she knew that I believed in what I was doing and that the people did too… Just because people don’t outright say thank you, that doesn’t mean they aren’t grateful.”

Padmé rubbed at her hands, looking down at her lap. “It’s… just something that’s always made sense to me. Maybe because of how I was raised. Even before we moved to Theed and I officially became involved in politics, House Naberrie is considered one of the Noble Houses of Naboo, and my parents made it a point to impress the importance of things like self-sacrifice and care for the socially weak into me and my sister. They would tell us, ‘you were born to privilege, and with that privilege comes certain responsibilities.’ It stuck with me. I couldn’t sit by and do nothing….”

Taking one of the remaining bread rolls from the dinner tray, she started picking it to pieces. “But I suppose that’s also why… things got to the point they did in my personal life. Part of the reason I never really had any lasting relationships is because my duties always took priority over everything else. I broke up with my first boyfriend when I became Queen of Naboo, and that just… became the habit until… until you.” 

> _Until I ruined your life,_ he thought to himself, drawing his hand away from her. He didn’t have the right to touch her, not after everything that had happened, from the moment of the sabotage of his mission. Padmé had been to blame then, yes, she had revealed secret information to the Rebels at a time where he believed he could trust her.
> 
> But the way he’d behaved the following weeks, months… was despicable. The way he had used his powers to… force her to sleep with him. Turning in bed, he faced the ceiling. Guilt and remorse eating him up, again, over their current situation. They were riding a wave of bad luck and he didn’t know when it would stop. Everything was going wrong. From the moment he almost got killed, to the moment where he realized that Cordé had been conceived on the night where she didn’t give him consent, to the miscarriage and his wife’s kidnapping.
> 
> A shiver went down his spine. _Bad luck or someone is planning to destroy your life, piece by piece?_ A whisper in his mind…a whisper he was going to save because it was plausible that all of this…could be a manipulation. Of someone. It…it wouldn’t be beneath Sidious to do such atrocities but…could it be true?
> 
> “Sleep. You need it,” Vader said into the silence and darkness of the room.
> 
> He had too much on his mind. A weight too big on his shoulders. _Tomorrow_ , he promised, _tomorrow I’m going to find out the truth._

Padmé slowly nodded and settled into the bed, curled up in a fetal position next to him. The bed felt almost uncomfortable in how soft it was, after all the weeks she’d spent on the hard floors of Jabba’s palace, but the presence of another warm body next to hers soothed her greatly, enough to keep the nightmares away.

* * *

When she awoke, the day seemed almost painfully bright and cheerful, making Padmé wince, but she still forced herself to get out of bed and find something to wear. It pained her to realize most of her gowns had been altered to accommodate the growing curve of her stomach, one that was now clearly missing. After a few moments to steady herself, she pulled out a dark blue linen dress and slipped into the fresher to change so that she wouldn’t disturb Vader.

Putting her hair into a low knot, she made her way to the dining hall, then had to fight the urge to immediately turn and run, because Palpatine was already there, sipping from a cup of caf, and smiling at her rather dangerously. “Welcome home, my dear. So glad to see you returned safely to us. I expect Lord Vader will be joining us?”

“I… I think so, your Majesty, I can go see if he’s awake yet, he was very exhausted last night—”

“Nonsense, my dear. Please, **_sit_**.” His yellow eyes flashed dangerously, and Padmé reluctantly obeyed him.   

> When Vader woke up, he knew the morning was halfway over. Padmé was gone and suddenly he panicked, but sensed around the castle and found her force signature at the dining hall. He calmed down, and just laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. Something was serious wrong with everything. The betrayal… the miscarriage…everything over the last months has been going the wrong way. Vader wanted to set fire to everything and send all his plans to Hell, but he couldn’t. So many were counting on him. He could do so much.
> 
> More and more he was reminded of his Mother’s gentle words when he was young. He had the ability to change the Galaxy. To touch people’s lives. To make it better. Anakin Skywalker had been raised in a loving environment, despite the circumstances. Darth Vader had been brought up in a world of terror, pain and darkness. He lost the boy his Mother had raised and chose to be the man Sidious wanted him to be. But he didn’t…he didn’t want to be that man. He wanted to be the boy Shmi had raised and have the power and the knowledge Sidious so gladly gave him.
> 
> Could he be both?
> 
> While he debated that question, he knew what he had to do. Something didn’t sit right with the way things went down and he was going to clear out what had happened. Why was his child dead and why had his wife been taken? He could trust no one.
> 
> After he was dressed, he summoned Dara and Rex. From Dara, he wanted her to go through Padmé’s medical history from the point they discovered she was pregnant to the day their child had died. From Rex, he wanted all the plans – all of them – that involved the mission where he was ambushed, plus the detailed reports of everyone involved.
> 
> Soon, he would know the truth.

“You were well taken care of last night, I trust.”

“I’m recovering still, your Majesty,” Padmé said, shifting uncomfortably under the steady yellow gaze of her pseudo-father-in-law. “These kinds of things take time.”

“But none of the rebels violated you? Nor that gangster?”

“I-I would rather not live the trauma of it, my lord!” she protested. “Please, I beg of you, do not ask me anymore.”

“I shall do as I see fit, Amidala, unless you’ve forgotten who is emperor?” Padmé gulped, feeling air being pressed out of her throat and something different, something horribly familiar… “Nothing happens,” Palpatine continued, “unless I wish it. You will not give your husband anything I do not wish. And once this conversation is over, my dear, you will not remember that we had it, I can’t have you telling the boy of this, after all. But I wanted to see at least a little of your misery for myself.”

“Please… stop…” she begged.

“Oh, but I don’t want to stop, _my dear._ You see, I have despised you from the moment we first met. So sanctimoniously naïve, so sweet and beautiful, so… _democratic._ It sickens me now as it did then, and it has given me so much pleasure to see you suffering under your husband. But he’s growing attached to you now, he’s coming to care. I can’t have that.”

_Vader, please, Vader, hear me, I’m scared, I think he might kill me, please, please, please…_

> At the first few threads of fear and despair he felt, Vader bolted, leaving his soldiers confused. _I knew I should have found her first thing this morning,_ he thought regretfully. When he found her, he gritted his teeth realizing she was with Sidious.
> 
> “Ah, there you are, my boy,” Sidious said, almost cheerfully. “I asked to see you last night,” he said, accusingly.
> 
> “Yes, but as you can imagine, Master, I was taking care of my wife,” Vader placed both of his hands on Padmé’s shoulders, squeezing them gently. “It’s understandable, given what she went through, that she needed me.”
> 
> The look Sidious gave him was of pure hatred and disappointment. His Master was many things, but he wasn’t stupid or blind. He realized that, somewhere down the line, Vader had fallen for his wife and cared more about her than he should.
> 
> “That’s what a husband does,” Sidious said coldly. “Make sure she’s well protected. We don’t want anything happening again, now do we?”
> 
> Vader helped Padmé up and moved in front of her. “Well, Master, if anyone else dares to lift a finger to hurt my wife, then it will be their last mistake,” and his yellow eyes glowed with the threat. _That includes you, my Master._
> 
> “Let’s go, Padmé,” he said gently, taking her hand. “Enjoy the rest of your breakfast, Master,” Vader said dismissively.
> 
> Outside the dining hall and holding her hand tightly, he didn’t stop walking. This was it. He was breaking all ties to his Master. He would need to act quickly. Sidious…he had been responsible. He doesn’t know for what yet, but he was! For something! If only he got some proof. It took a lot of courage to take her to the gardens. He needed to do something.
> 
> He finally paused, in front of Cordé’s grave, and turned to his wife. “I need to promise you something. In front of our daughter,” Vader took both of her hands in his own. He realized that what he was about to say was out of character for him, but he didn’t know what was in or out of character for him anymore. “I am not letting you get hurt. Anymore. No one will ever hurt you again and that includes me. I know what I did, trust me. No one regrets it more than me and maybe that’s why the Force punished me…us…” his eyes drifted to the small grave, before snapping back to Padmé. “I need you to trust me. I don’t want to see you hurt and I’ll do anything to protect you. Echo and Fives will be with you at all times, and they’ll have a handful with men with them. Your family’s security has been upgraded and I’ve secretly requested the Queen to lend her assistance on their protection as well. Sidious is going down. Very soon. What has been happening to us, it’s not without a cause and I believe he is to blame for some of it.”
> 
> He remained quiet for a few moments, letting it all sink in. “Do you believe me?”

From the moment she had mentally screamed out to her husband, Padmé’s head had been throbbing, pounding terribly, and she knew, instinctively, that some part of her mind had been altered, Sidious had done something, but she couldn’t quite remember what it was. All she knew was that it was a massive relief when Vader appeared at her side and took her away from the odious presence of the Emperor.

“He… he did something to me, I…” She stopped as she realized where he had taken her. What the words he was saying actually meant. “You think… that he might have _killed_ Cordé… that he’s why the Rebels took me…” The pain worsened as she tried to force her way through the seeming barrier the Emperor had made in her mind. “He…”

Her hands gripped her husband’s forearms as a means to steadying herself as the realization struggled to break through, the memories of him choking her painfully attempting to be restored. “Something is... I don't understand, my head... it hurts...” 

> Vader sighs. “He must have used the Force to block your conversation,” he mumbled. “I think he did something. I have no proof, so I can’t act, but I know that he’s responsible for what has been happening. If…if he’s not…if he isn’t to blame for my ambush as well, knowing I would blame you. But he wasn’t expecting me to cover for you.”
> 
> Nodding, Vader fixes her with a stern gaze. “I won’t let him hurt anyone else. Just…just allow me to see if I can…unlock your conversation with him,” his hands raise slowly, to cup her cheeks. He closes his eyes and focus. He doesn’t want to meddle in her mind, knowing that privacy is everyone’s right.
> 
> _You will not give your husband anything I do not wish._
> 
> Cordé.
> 
> _It sickens me now as it did then, and it has given me so much pleasure to see you suffering under your husband._
> 
> When he used the Force to make her submissive.
> 
> _But he’s growing attached to you now, he’s coming to care. I can’t have that._
> 
> When he turned against her, for thinking she planned his ambush.
> 
> “I’m going to kill him myself,” Vader manages to say, dropping his hands from her face.

Padmé wept softly at the unblocking of her memories, for she could remember all of it now, and she nodded. She was condoning the death of a man.

_The man who made my baby die._

“Tell me… Tell me how I help you do it.”


	15. Assassination

They'd planned every detail down to the second, chosen a secluded alcove that could allow for apparent privacy while still making it very easy for them to be caught. Padmé carefully drifted down the hallway until she saw Vader and stopped in front of him. "My lord, you look troubled," she remarked politely in the phrases they had rehearsed multiple times. "Tell me, what is it that burdens you?" He reached around her waist and pulled her closer, looking straight into her eyes as he spoke.

“I surrender my heart, body, and soul.”

She knew full well that the words were meant purely for his master to hear, that was the trap they were setting for Palpatine. But they still unnerved her, because her husband sounded so... genuine.

“They’re pretty words, my husband, but how can I trust them?” She whispered, curling her hands around the edges of his cloak. “I know there are other duties that must come before me, I understand that as your wife, but... I would rather have truth. Simple truth.”

Her heart pounded as she listened for footsteps. Vader would keep her safe, she knew that, but it didn’t make the moment any less terrifying.

“Tell me again... in plain words, I need to hear it.”  

> It was a play they were saying and the words, for her, would be a lie. Something fake. Something he didn’t feel. Vader knew better. Deep down, he meant those words.
> 
> Sidious was listening. He was near. Vader knew that Sidious was too proud to let go of his apprentice. Someone he had trained to his image and was now rebelling. In Sidious’ mind, he could still torture him to get back on track. Then, if that failed, he would die.
> 
> But Vader and Padmé had other plans.
> 
> “It’s very simple,” he said. “I love you, Padmé.”
> 
> “Isn’t this beautiful?” Sidious’ cold, menacing voice followed his words. He had fallen in the trap. “I thought I had taught you better, Lord Vader, I gave you everything to become great. To become powerful. Yet, you pick her over everything I gave you.”
> 
> “You did give me everything to make me powerful, but you never thought I would use it against you,” Vader’s eyes showed defiance.
> 
> “Let’s see if you are so confident when I’m done with you.”
> 
> Vader knew what it was going to happen before it did. The first bolts of Sith lightning appeared from the Sith’s hands, towards Padmé, but Vader ignited his lightsaber and pushed her behind him as he used the blood red blade to deflect the bolts.

Padmé flinched as a fractal of the lightning nearly hit her, but she did not look away, watching from behind her husband as Sidious kept up his assault. “And what of what you took from us?” she demanded, determined to have her own small part in this bloody vengeance. “What of the fear and pain you have caused, what of the deaths and atrocities you’ve ordered, _what of our baby that you murdered?_ ”

“Ah, yes, your dear daughter. In hindsight, I should have let you birth her and then destroyed both of you, it would have saved me a lot of trouble!” Sidious spat venomously.

> “It was you who caused the ambush. You switched the original plans we had. You were expecting Padmé to betray me at some point,” Vader accused, deflecting the bolts of lightning that kept coming their way. “You wanted her to betray me. You wanted me to turn against her.”
> 
> “Look how you did it. So brilliantly. I was never more proud,” Sidious said cruelly, which fueled Vader’s anger.
> 
> As he stopped defending, Vader went for the offensive, making Sidious ignite his own lightsaber and the two started dueling.
> 
> “You ungrateful slave,” Sidious spat. “I saved you from a life of misery.”
> 
> “You took advantage of my grief,” Vader hissed. “You used my rage against the Jedi to your advantage.”
> 
> “Your rage gives you power!”
> 
> “Thankfully you gave me a lot of reasons to be enraged!” Two blood red blades met in the middle.

They were evenly matched. Vader was younger and stronger, but Sidious was more skilled, more cunning, and, ostensibly, had more to lose. There had to be something she could do… and then, Padmé remembered something she’d foolishly forgotten for a very long time.

Reaching into her sash, she found a tiny blaster. Tiny, but powerful. _Like we are_ , Sabé had once joked when they were girls. Padmé forced her hands not to shake as she raised the blaster, aiming at the Emperor’s shoulder. As she squeezed her eyes shut, her finger clenched on the trigger and fired.

Sidious hissed in pain, whirling on her. “Very well, _Padmé Amidala_ , he can watch you die first.” And then the lightning came at her.

The pain was excruciating, her entire body simultaneously numb and burning as a scream was ripped from her throat. 

> Vader was not able to stop the lightning from hitting his wife, but he is able to run the red blade through Sidious’ chest. Everything seemed like it was in slow motion. Sidious gasped and dropped his lightsaber. “You’ll never hurt anyone I love anymore,” Vader turned the lightsaber around, making sure Sidious’ cold, frozen heart was destroyed and he withdrew the blade from the man’s body. The Emperor fell to his knees and Vader decapitated him.
> 
> There was a sense of freedom inside of him. He had no Master anymore. Now, Darth Vader answered to himself only and he would do so for the rest of his life.
> 
> _This was for Cordé. This was for Padmé. This was for_ **_me_ ** _._
> 
> He snapped back to reality and ran towards Padmé. He cradled her body to his chest. “You are so stupid,” he hissed. “Padmé, he could have killed you,” Vader placed one hand on the side of her face and focus. He used the Force to absorb the fresh pain of her muscles into his own. He doesn’t want her to end up with the same problems as his, caused by Sith Lightning.
> 
> “It’s over,” he croaked out. “He’s dead. And our daughter’s death has been avenged.”

The pain was so great that Padmé didn’t even hear Vader use the word _love_ , she simply crumpled to the ground, whimpering. She didn’t realize the deed was done until Vader pulled the pain away and she saw the body of their tormenter. “Oh… oh…”

Sobbing with relief, she hugged him close. “Thank the gods… We’re free… we’re free.” And then something clicked in her, the need to secure what could be a very unsteady future, considering what they had just done. “We have to figure out what we do now. Lightsaber marks are very distinct, and we’re not out of danger… There might be loyalists who would call for your head since you took his. And you don’t deserve to die for freeing the galaxy from a monster.”  

> Vader hugged her tightly. “I have everything under control. I have enough proof that what we did here, was self-defense. The security holos help. They recorded everything. His confession, how he attacked us first. Besides, Dara and Rex have been digging up dirt on him for a while. I have everything I need to bury in without having anyone asking for my head,” he explained.
> 
> “Let’s go, I want to take you to the med-bay,” Vader picked her up bridal style, at the same moment Rex and Dara burst through the room.
> 
> Both gasped at the stated of the former Emperor and stared at Vader for guidance. “My wife was attacked and I’m going to take her to the med-bay. Get his body out of here and call the Palace’s communications team. Tonight, the Galaxy knows they have a new Emperor,” then he looked down at his wife’s face. “And Empress.”

_Empress._ She was the Empress now. “I-I need to get out of these clothes. Mourning traditions must be observed,” she stammered, even as he picked her up. “Even for someone like him.”

“Milady, I’d listen to the Emperor first, you don’t look all that steady, considering…” Rex gestured vaguely, and Padmé sighed, knowing he was right.

“Fine… will someone please tell my handmaidens, then? Before they hear the news from another source? They can get my preparations ready while I’m in the med-bay.”

“I will let them know,” Rex nodded.

> Silently, Vader head towards the med-bay. His heart was thundering against his ribs as what happened started to sink in. He was free, at last. He had no Master to respond to now, he was his own man and would keep being so. Now he had the power over the Galaxy and he could put in place several ideas that Sidious had rejected over the year.
> 
> As he entered the med-bay, he was immediately assisted by three med-droids. Vader placed his wife on the bed and then placed one strand of hair behind her ear. “He’s gone,” he said simply. “Everything will be better now.”

The tremors slowly started to die away as the medical droids fed Padmé some kind of medicine to keep her heart and lungs stable. “We would recommend having her monitored over the next few days, Your Majesty, to make sure she doesn’t show any symptoms similar to yours.”

Padmé looked at her husband in confusion. “How... how often did he... to you...?” She couldn’t imagine how much that must have hurt him over the years, what it must have done to him... Things made a little more sense with that knowledge.

“I’m sorry.” 

> “Yes, thank you,” Vader nodded as he sat by her side. “As often as you might imagine when you’re training a rebellious apprentice,” he gave her a small smile of reassurance. “It’s…under control. Usually. I’ve been getting treatments for a while now. The Sith lightning, it…scars your muscles tissues but it does more serious damage to your brain. My muscles I can heal with the Force, but my brain is…” he frowned. “Different. I can’t heal it by myself. When I miss a treatment, there is this unbearable pain, like I’m ripping in half and then…I’m not myself,” he explained. She had a right to know.
> 
> “But that happens to me because I had sixteen years worth of Sith lightning, you will be alright.”

“And now that he’s dead, you will be too,” she guessed hopefully. Maybe this meant the Dark Side could be gone from their lives, that they could have some kind of a life together that wouldn’t be so tainted and ugly.

“Master…” Dara appeared, knocking on the frame of the door. “HoloNet reporters are starting to show up asking questions. Apparently, Darth Sleemo was supposed to be making some big announcement, and now that he hasn’t shown up, they’re getting nosey. Should I tell them to leave?” 

> “I hope so,” Vader nodded, with a long sigh, before Dara appeared on the doorway. “Big announcement? Too bad for him, he lost his head before that,” he snorted. “No, let them say. I will speak publicly. Explain to the Galaxy what happened and let them know they have a new Emperor,” he raised from Padmé’s side. Bending down to kiss her forehead, he nodded at Dara. “Get me that security holo as soon as you can. Let’s show the Galaxy the truth.”

Padmé moved to pull back her covers and get up, but the attending droid caught her by the arm. “My lady, I do not suggest you move so soon after a traumatizing experience.”

“Nonsense. I need to stand by my husband when he addresses the Galaxy at this crucial moment,” Padmé argued as Dormé entered with a black cloak and the gem-studded mourning veil Padmé had worn to a Fallen Troops Memorial Service months ago and helped her put them on in a hurry. The resulting look was one that looked rushed, but still tasteful, exactly as planned, and she placed a hand in the crook of Vader’s arm, even as the droid continued to protest.

“Your Majesty, I really must advise against this!” 

> Vader looked at her, scandalized. “You’re insane,” he declared as he gently removed her hand from his arm. “You might not know what Sith Lightning does to your body and mind, but I do, and I want you to stay here and be under observation until you’re giving the all clear,” then he turned to her handmaiden. “Dormé, take these ideas out of the Empress’s head and please, stay with her and make sure she gets all the rest she needs.”
> 
> Turning to his wife, he smiled. “Thank you. For wanting to be at my side, but I will be fine on my own, Padmé. I want you to get the rest that you need so you are at the best shape for the coronation,” he kissed her forehead. “I’ll be with you once the media circus is over.”

Padmé very nearly pouted as Dormé sighed and removed the veil and cloak again. “I just want to help, you hate reporters.”

“My lady, I really do think you should listen to the droid, it knows what’s best for your health,” Dormé said timidly. Knowing when she was outnumbered, Padmé groaned and settled against the pillows, scowling.

“Fine. But so long as I’m here, I want my datapad so I can do some designing for the coronation, I refuse to waste time.”  

> “I hate reporters but I hate to see you suffer more,” Vader confessed in an odd act of honesty. “Rest and think about the coronation and how you want it to be. I have a Galaxy to address. I will be with you as soon as I can. Dormé, keep an eye on her,” he said to the handmaiden before leaving with Dara.

Dormé nodded and followed him out to get the datapad Padmé had requested while the medical droid turned on the Holonet for her to watch her husband make the announcement. When Dormé returned, it was, surprisingly, with someone else in tow.

“Bail.”

The Viceroy bowed to Padmé, concern etched in his face beneath the formality. “I was coming to see you while Vader and Palpatine were with the press, I had no idea.... I’m sorry to disturb you—”

“I don’t want to hear anything from you,” she interrupted. “You can tell me what happened to me was the actions of a few extremists like Saw Gerrera. You can tell me that you’re sorry I had to suffer. But it doesn’t change the fact that the Alliance stood by and let me spend fifteen days trapped in Jabba’s palace. Inaction is tantamount to condoning it. It is only for the years you and Breha have been my friends that I have not already exposed you. Beyond that, I am done with the Alliance. For good. I suggest you leave now, Viceroy. I need to rest. Dormé, show him out.”

“Padmé—”

“I said we’re done.” With a somber face, the handmaiden handed Padmé her datapad and led Bail from the room just as Vader appeared on the news broadcast. As he spoke, it became increasingly clear to her just how long he had been preparing for this day. This had been his goal even before he married her, almost a year ago.

A year... Had it really been so long? On a level, it made sense, so many of her days had become a dull blur of repetition, accented by moments of pain...

Despite his hatred of the HoloNet's correspondents, Vader was exuding such power, such confidence, that they were all falling in line, especially as he systematically produced the evidence of his predecessor's corruption and madness. She could feel the shift in the mood through the channel, how easily he swayed the reporters' opinion to his side. Though perhaps that was because the press were weak minded enough to  _be_ swayed.

When Vader started taking questions about plans for moving forward, things like the funeral rites and plans for the coronation, she shut off the news and started sketching potential designs for the upcoming events.

She was going to need an entirely new wardrobe if she was going to be an Empress.


	16. Coronation

Padmé winced as Dormé set the last pin into place. It had taken hours to get her ready but, looking in the mirror, it had been worth it. She was wearing a dress that definitely cost more than some families would spend on food in a year, and it was a sight to behold, multiple layers of red silk, studded with gems and gold around the stomacher, sleeves, and underskirt, with the overskirt and sleeves trailing yards behind her. At her breastbone, a sein jewel rested in the center of a halo of veda pearls and white ulikuo stones. Her hair was bound in a floral arrangement of braids, strings of hammered gold threaded in with the brown locks. Her makeup was subdued and tasteful, and Sabé had even taken the liberty of using two slightly different colors to give her a scar of remembrance. A reminder of the responsibilities she and Vader were now to assume.

She looked… like an Empress. As she needed to.

“Are we ready to go, Milady?” Fives asked from the door, and Padmé hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Great. Lord Vader’s already waiting. Along with, er, most of the galaxy.”

“I’m well aware,” Padmé stifled a little laugh before sweeping out of the room with her handmaidens and Fives in tow. As she descended the staircase, she caught sight of her husband, dressed in his usual black clothes, albeit the formal ones. “My lord.” 

> Vader had been waiting outside the Throne Room for his wife. He knows the entire court is reunited behind the closed doors, and the HoloNet had set up everything to be able to broadcast the coronation to the entire Galaxy.
> 
> Vader was pacing, but unwilling to admit he was nervous. He had finally taken the reigns of the Galaxy. Sidious was dead and people around him had no idea of how good he felt. How free his mind was.
> 
> Rex cleared his throat. “My Lord, Lady Amidala is arriving.”
> 
> Whipping around, his heart stopped as she took her in. Flawless in red and gold. Breathtaking. “Wow,” he whispered. “Padmé, you look…” he was at a loss of words really. “Like an Empress,” he finished.
> 
> Turning to look at the closing doors, he bit his lower lip in anticipation. “It’s time. Are you ready?”

“Thank you,” she said politely, placing her hand in the crook of his elbow. “And yes, I’m ready as one can be for something like this.” The doors parted and the strains of _Glory of the Empire_ could be heard. Padmé had always hated that anthem, and she hated it even more now that it was playing for her, at least in part.

No one dared to speak at such a solemn state occasion, but she could practically hear their myriad thoughts, and that probably meant Vader actually could hear them. Of course, she didn’t let it affect her and just kept staring serenely forward.

As they drew closer to the steps of the throne, she let go of Vader’s arm and slowed to a stop, letting him continue. They’d been through this protocol a thousand times over with a very bitter Mas Amedda. Vader would swear the oaths and receive the crown from him, and then it would be the Emperor’s duty to elevate his wife as he saw fit. The Grand Vizier’s phrasing had made it clear he was in the faction that considered Padmé a whore more than a wife, and Padmé took a little comfort in knowing that the Chagrian would not be employed for much longer.

For the time being, along with everyone else, she knelt as Amedda struck his staff against the floor and began to speak.

> Vader was not a big fan of Mas Amedda. He was sure that he had the same opinion. Before so many eyes, including his wife’s, he listened to Mas speak and made his oath. The people had diverging opinions running through their minds and Vader was trying to put them aside. They wondered if he was going to be the same as Sidious, bringing oppression to the planets, becoming a tyrant without any control. Others were hoping him to be different. Many were anxious to finally have a trustworthy Empress. The people loved Padmé.
> 
> That was always what he wanted in the end, wasn’t it? Marrying her for a political advantage?
> 
> “My Lord, please, repeat after me,” Mas Amedda said and Vader took the oath. After an eternity of repeating the same words, the crown of the Empire was placed in his head and as Mas Amedda placed it, he briefly closed his eyes and after he opened them, he was officially the Emperor.
> 
> Now, there was only one thing left to do. Rising from his throne, he offered his wife both of his hands. It was time for her to stop kneeling before him and become his equal.

Padmé raised her eyes and when she saw what Vader was doing, her whole face widened in shock. Then she smiled slightly to see Mas Amedda struggling to keep his disgust to himself and accepted her husband’s hands, standing up straight. She still only came up to his shoulder, but there was no shortage of cheering as she positioned herself alongside Vader and Amedda placed a second, more delicately made crown on her head.

“Citizens of the Galaxy,” he intoned, “I present Emperor Vader, and his consort, Empress Amidala. Long may they reign.”

“Long may they reign,” the crowd responded in unison, and in a moment that she knew would further endear both of them to the HoloNet, Padmé carefully reached up and turned Vader’s face to her, guiding him down for their lips to meet. Cameras of every kind flashed, capturing the first gentle kiss of the newly crowned Imperial couple.

> Vader was not expecting it. As she reached up, he just let himself be guided by her movements, too afraid to move or do something wrong. After what happened all those months ago, he never expected her to allow him to do something like this.
> 
> But it gave him hope that they could work it out. That there was still a chance that they could be a couple again.
> 
> As he kissed her back, gently, he was sure of one thing; he would seduce his wife, and make her give him a second chance.
> 
> “Long may we reign,” he grinned after they broke up the kiss. “I promise. It will be different.”

“I know it will be,” she murmured, squeezing his hand as they started the procession back out of the throne room and into the private antechambers that had been set aside for them to wait in while the guests were seated in the great hall for the coronation feast. Once they were alone, Padmé let herself breathe.

“Well, that went well... But I’m definitely not looking forward to yet another round of people coming up to insincerely congratulate and flatter us. That was always the worst part of my duties when I was Queen of Naboo,” she remarked, readjusting her necklace as she looked up at him. “I’ll do my best to keep you from going mad if you promise to do the same for me.” 

> “You know, some of these people are actually happy that you are their Empress. They’re happier about you than they are about me,” Vader pointed out. “So I believe some of it will be true,” Vader cradled her cheek in his hand. “I promise. The hardships are past us, Padmé. Sidious will no longer be able to hurt us or anyone else we care about. I know we can do great things to this Galaxy.” Gently, he kissed her forehead.

“People know where I stand. Who I am. You’re still very much a mystery to them,” she pointed out. “They’ll form their opinions soon enough.”

“Your Majesties, they’re ready for you,” Rex announced, and Padmé felt herself snap into the formal, aloof manner of Amidala, something of a welcome relief. While she was grateful for the reprieve from their arguments that had lasted since they planned, she was now starting to worry she was sending him the wrong kind of signals. A banquet and receiving lines that lasted hours would be an annoying kind of reprieve, but still a reprieve.

“Speaking of opinions, it would not do for us to be late. Shall we?” And for the sake of appearances, she slipped her hand into his. 

> Vader squeezed her hand and Rex opened the doors to the dining hall, filled with people. They were received with strong applause. He surveyed the room, using the Force to sense any danger, gladly, besides Miraj Scintel’s interest in him, there was none.
> 
> And speaking of the Zygerrian, she was the first one to approach them, a broad smile that showed her white, sharp teeth. A sparkling golden dress that barely covered anything and her crown, always shining at the top of her head. “Your Majesty,” she curtsied and Vader bowed his head slightly, she was too, royalty after all.
> 
> “Your Highness,” he replied, a polite smile on his lips. Miraj Scintel always paid him a special attention, whenever she was visiting or he was deployed to Zygerria by Sidious. Whatever the reason was for them to be placed in the same room together, he had to keep himself under watch. She was a snake and a slaver. Not his favorite mix. But alas, political allies are always good to have.
> 
> “I’ve always known you would reach so far and by the Stars, that crown belongs on your head, my Lord,” she complimented. “I know,” Miraj started, one hand on his bicep and squeezed. “You will do great things to this Galaxy and I cannot wait for us to have a chat, in private, about the relations between Zygerria and the Empire.”
> 
> Almost like she was only just remembering Padmé, she turned to the newly declared Empress. “Lady Amidala,” she nodded with mild interest.

Padmé had just been taking a sip of her wine when the Queen of Zygerria approached them, and she nearly choked as she realized that the woman was practically radiating lust— lust directed straight at the newly crowned Emperor. “Lady Scintel.” Padmé extended her hand formally, not-too-subtly between her husband and the Queen. “Delighted that you could join us for such a momentous occasion.”

“I look forward to the next one,” the Queen purred, looking at Vader, and Padmé felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. “We always had such lovely times at your predecessor’s galas.”

“It may be a long time before we can afford such distractions,” Padmé warned coolly. “The needs of the galaxy must come first, and there are so many plans to work on.” Now Miraj was looking at her, and there was nothing but hatred in her eyes.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, you do have rather a reputation for being... a crusader, your Majesty.”  From her tone, Padmé could tell that Scintel had not actually meant the honorific. “I wish the best for you both. And I hope, Emperor Vader, that you might save a dance for me later in the evening?”

> Vader watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow. It was the first time since they have been together that Padmé demonstrated jealousy. It made a very attractive image.
> 
> “Absolutely, your highness,” Vader nodded at the Queen’s question, gently bringing his wife back to his side. “I’ll be sure to remember to leave one for you.”
> 
> Miraj bowed once more, before leaving them alone. “That was interesting,” he muttered. “Well, I believe some members of the Senate are requesting my attention at the moment. If you could mingle with the rest of the crowd, make sure everyone is having a good time and liking the idea of their new royal family, it would be fantastic,” he kissed her cheek, lower this time, near her lips.

“Of... course...” she mumbled, a little taken aback by him being the one to instigate sudden kissing. It felt like losing the little bit of control that she had. “But I hope you’ll rescue me if I get out of my depth.”

As she drifted between guests, receiving well-wishes, compliments, and spur-of-the-moment petitions, she became increasingly aware of how alone she really was. She could see Mon Mothma and Bail Organa hovering at the fringe of the crowd with a few other Senators she knew to be Rebel sympathizers. She didn’t doubt that Bail had told them of the conversation she’d had with him. She missed being able to call them friends, but she had little choice now.

Surprisingly, it was the delegations from the Outer Rim who flocked to her most ardently. She had not been aware of just how much she was known out there. Apparently, the deliverance of Naboo, combined with the incident at Jabba’s palace had let many in those outer territories to view their new Imperial couple as deliverers of a sort. They were very eager to be brought fully into the Empire to share in its prosperity.

She heard the sounds of the band starting and turned, looking for her husband. Protocol dictated that they were to open the dancing, and she would be damned if Miraj Scintel had gotten her claws into Vader first. 

> The change among the court could be seen a mile away. Vader was no longer Sidious’ lackey, he was the Emperor. He had all the power over the Empire and he was more feared, more respected than ever before. Of course, given the chance, there would be the usual appeals and trying to get in his good graces, and since it was his coronation day, Vader allowed them to think they were successful.
> 
> As the music began, he searched for his Empress. They were to open the dance floor and as he made his way towards her, Miraj tried to intercept him, only to have him quickly excuse himself.
> 
> Reaching Padmé, he took her hand and lead her to the dance floor, all eyes on them. With one hand on her lower back and another holding her hand, they started to sway at the tune of the band’s music.
> 
> “You seem…like you are adapting,” he mumbled quietly. “I hope everyone is treating you respectfully?”

“If they’re not, I don’t allow them to talk to me,” Padmé answered glibly, carefully moving through the steps of the dance. “And what about you? Has anyone hurt themselves yet in their rush to kiss your feet and earn your favor?”

There was a swell in the music and she braced herself on his shoulders as she used her toes to propel herself upwards into the air, looking down at her husband and his eerie golden eyes. “I should warn you, the delegations from the Outer Rim are most eager to know when we shall be ‘continuing our most righteous crusade for their liberty.’ You’re quite a hero out there, did you know? For... what happened on Tatooine.”

Her heels clicked as she landed back on the floor and had to go back to craning her neck to look at him. “I told them they would know in time, but I don’t think that satisfied them. They’ll ask you directly at the first chance they get.” 

> “Good. You shouldn’t. Because if there’s someone who doesn’t respect you, we can expel them from court. That’s how powerful we are,” he grinned before laughing. “I don’t think so, but they have tripped over each other.”
> 
> Vader nodded. “It’s understandable given recent events. Besides, Sidious never cared too much about the Outer Rim besides his negotiations with Jabba, which is now dead to everyone’s pleasure,” he kissed her temple.
> 
> He chuckled. “Let them. I’m the Emperor. They don’t get to rush me. They’ll know what my plan of action is soon enough, I won’t be bullied into telling them sooner.”

“You’re the Emperor,” Padmé conceded, “but you haven’t won until history records how you die. Until then it’s just an endless parade of people wanting you in some way or another. Wanting you to have them, wanting to have what you have, wanting you gone. I might not be Force-sensitive, but I know that nearly everyone here is thinking that in some way or another.”

As she mentioned that want, she could feel Miraj Scintel’s eyes boring into her, wanting Vader quite clearly. Padmé’s jaw clenched, and she squeezed her eyes shut. “You have another partner waiting, and I think I need to get something to eat and drink. I feel dizzy.”

And she did not want to be seen watching her husband with another woman. She knew her face would show her disapproval of Scintel, and she was not interested in seeing that make the HoloNet.

> “Let them come,” Vader stated simply. “Let them have their wicked thoughts and plan their futile fights. I am more powerful than any of them and they should all remember it. I am the Chosen One of the Force. I’ve brought down Darth Sidious. I am the Emperor and I will pity the first fool that tries to cross me.”
> 
> He was feeling more like himself, but in a different way, if that even made sense. Vader was feeling the power again within him, and the confidence to use it and wield it as he pleased. “Oh, yes, the Zygerrian Queen,” he nodded as they stopped dancing. “It will be a quick dance, eat something you’re looking pale,” he kissed her knuckles and allowed her to leave him at the dance floor alone. His yellow eyes found Miraj and with a small hidden sigh, he went towards her. He grin was impossible big. “Your Majesty,” he greeted, offering his hand.
> 
> “I thought you forgot about me,” she purred as he took her to the middle of the dance floor and they started to sway. Vader wanting to impose some distance between their bodies but the Queen wanting nothing more than to be glued to him.
> 
> “I was dancing with my wife,” he stated bluntly. “As the protocol states, the Emperor and Empress should always open the dance floor.”
> 
> “Oh, I understand. Is she feeling well? I see that she retired, leaving you all alone.”
> 
> “She just needed something to eat, nothing else. It has been a couple of long days for us.”
> 
> “Hmm, I hope she’s prepared for the responsibilities of being an Empress. She is going to have more long days like these,” Miraj drawled, and Vader glared at her.
> 
> “Your Majesty, I hope you didn’t forget how much my wife and I have been through? She’s allowed to rest and be tired. You, however, are not allowed to mention her again during our dance, understood?” His voice was low, but strong like thunder.
> 
> Miraj nodded, stiffly. “Yes, my lord.”
> 
> Padmé was just picking up a tiny Iego angel food cake topped with shavings of shuura fruit in its icing when Mon Mothma stepped in front of her. “I hope you’re not foolish enough to bring up _that_ at an imperial coronation,” Padmé warned her.

“I came in the position you once occupied for your husband’s predecessor. I hope, _Empress_ , that you will remember your homeworld, and the values it holds,” the Chandrilan Senator answered, projecting nothing but serenity in her pristine white gown and silver headpiece. “No matter how enchanted your husband has you.”

At the word _enchanted_ , Padmé flinched. It was a minuscule little thing on the surface, but underneath it made her boil. Was this what the Rebel Alliance was pushing as a story now? That she’d been bewitched into being Vader’s wife, this was how they soothed their consciences? They had _**no**_ idea what it felt like when he supplanted someone’s will with his own, they didn’t understand what she’d gone through.

“I have never forgotten. And I intend to do everything I can to be the best Empress I can be, for all the people in this galaxy. Look to your own wounds, Senator, before warning me about mine.  Good day.” Moving away from her former colleague, she finished with the cake and grabbed a few more quick bites before the song ended and she returned to her husband’s side, not too subtly wresting his arm from Miraj Scintel’s grip.

“My turn again, I think,” she said pointedly. 

> Vader was glad when Padmé interrupted the dance. Miraj bowed to them and left to join the rest of the crowd. As for the newest royal couple, they began to dance again. “Has someone bothered you? Other than Miraj Scintel, I mean,” Vader asked, knowing a few of Padmé old work colleagues were present and had wanted to speak with her. “We can retreat early, if you wish.”

“Someone felt it necessary to parrot back the message that I was sent to give your predecessor,” she answered, looking down at her feet with a huff. “Apparently, what remains of the Rebel Alliance seems to think that I’m still your wife because you have me enchanted. Anything to make themselves feel better about what they did to me. Don’t worry about it, I’m fine. I don’t need to leave, it would get people talking anyway.”

She moved in a little closer to him as the music grew softer. “I’m not running from my decisions. I know I can handle it.” 

> “I don’t care if people talk, Padmé. Our mental health is much more important,” Vader said as he held her tightly during the next part of the dance. “I know you’re strong, but I want you to be honest with me at all times. If you’re uncomfortable, need a break, you have to let me know. I’m your husband. I’ll protect you.”

“I don’t need to be protected, I’m a big girl, and I’m done with letting everything upset me,” she insisted. “I do not need a break, and I should not get in the habit of taking them because there will be times when I can’t take a break, no matter how much I might want to. I can do this. I will do this.”

And to prove her point, she leaned in and kissed him again. 

> Again, he was surprised, but he kissed her back gently, holding her face in his hands. “I apologize, I did not want to make you feel like you were not capable of handling this, I know you are.” _It’s why I chose you in the first place_. “Don’t forget we are in this together and if you need anything? I’ll be right here. As long as we are a team, no one can hurt us.”

_No one except ourselves_ , she thought in the innermost layers of her mind. But even so, she remained by his side for the rest of the day’s celebrations. And as the hours passed, she let herself relax a little. The future was fanning out ahead of her, and she would face it. Even if it was as _his_ Empress.


	17. Experimentation

Padmé had been brushing out her hair, removing the snarls that had resulted from day’s styling when she caught sight of her husband in the mirror. Setting down the brush, she turned to look at him, quirking an eyebrow as she gathered her curls over one shoulder. “What is it?” 

> “I was thinking,” Vader tilted his head to the side. “It’s been awhile, for both of us and…” he has been preparing his arguments for days now, wanting it to feel smooth. “What if...we tried again? To be a couple, I mean. You need to admit, we both have needs, My Lady, and we only have each other.”

The suggestion ran through her like an icy blast of wind straight from Hoth. She hadn’t even _thought_ about marital duties, not since the incident that had led to Cordé’s conception. “I… Now?”

She didn’t want to have a baby, and that was the main reason that royals did this sort of thing, and… the last time she’d gotten any kind of pleasure out of their relations had been Mandalore. “What did you have in mind, exactly?” 

> “Well, it doesn’t have to be right _now,”_ Vader said. “I just wanted to know if we could think of starting that part of our relationship again. I know...I know what happened last time and how difficult it was for all of us, but I think that this would be the step in the right direction. We’re married. It could be… like Mandalore, do you remember?” It had actually been the only time she had fully accepted his touch and he wanted to move forward. Leave the past where it belonged. In the past. If he could only convince her to step into the future with him…

“I remember,” she muttered, wondering if he’d just peeked into her mind, or if it was just the same natural conclusion she had come to. She could have put it off, could have made some excuses, but if she did that, she’d just keep trying to put it off, and he’d get impatient… the best option was to just try and get this over with as quickly as possible. “But right now might be the only time, I have multiple appointments and appearances to make tomorrow, they’ll be spanning out for weeks. Just… give me a moment.”

Vader blinked, not expecting her to agree so fast and right there. He was working it up to be a struggle and he wouldn’t blame her. Not at all, but it was good for them to move towards the future together and not let the past events hold them back anymore. “S--Sure,” he nodded, sitting on the bed. “I— I’ll wait.”

> Padmé slipped into the fresher, splashing cold water on her face. She’d said yes to this mostly to avoid another fight. They’d been… coexisting, if somewhat tensely, since the coronation, and she refused to see them disintegrate back into fighting. _Lie back and think of Naboo,_ _just endure it…_ Removing her dressing gown, she stared at herself one last time. _You’ve done this before, time to do it again._

In the time she was at the fresher, he relieved himself of the heavy black robe, his jacket, and boots. As she left, he was reminded of the arousal that burned inside of him for her. It was silly of how awkward it felt, knowing they had done it countless of times. He found a silk sash of one of her robes and an idea formed. As she appeared from the fresher, he held his breath, his eyes raking over her body. Silently, he approached her, feeling her hesitation. “I know you’re afraid of me, but don’t be,” he whispered softly, bending down to kiss her lips. “I had an idea,” he showed her the sash. “Maybe if you’re not too keen on touching me, I can do all the hard work tonight?” Vader suggested.  

> Padmé hesitated as her eyes went from the sash in his hand back to his face. She had a sneaking suspicion she knew what it was for, and the prospect made her more than a little uncomfortable. “Do you promise to be gentle? That you won’t do anything I don’t want?”

Vader nodded. “You tell me to stop and I will,” he vowed. “Get on the bed and put your arms up, I won’t tie it too tightly.” 

> Slowly, Padmé obeyed him, undoing the laces of her nightgown as she moved to the bed, leaving herself bare for him to see. _Breathe,_ she told herself, _just breathe._

_Be gentle,_ a voice warned him. Vader was slightly distracted as he took ahold of her. He had almost forgotten how perfect she really was. With care, he tied her wrists to the bed frame. "There, nice and tight. No way to get out of there," he joked, trying to liven up the mood.  

> Padmé did _not_ see it as a joke. All it did was magnify a feeling of helplessness, a loss of control… a growing feeling at the back of her mind that she remembered feeling _very_ unsafe in something of a similar position. “Is seeing a woman bound and helpless just an image that arouses you?” she asked coldly.

Vader quirked one eyebrow, hovering above her. “Not just any woman. _You_. Bound up,” his lips were a ghost over the skin of her naked chest, his tongue provoking the most sensitive places. “Completely and totally bare to me,” he grinned against her navel as he licked a path from her navel, to the middle of her breasts before he raised his head. “Admit it, this arouses you just as much,” he leaned down to bite and suck at her pulse point until it was marked. “There’s infinite possibilities of what I can do to you…” 

> “It… does… not…” she protested, hissing as his lips moved along her skin. “Stop it, stop it, I hate this.” She tried to fight back the natural response of her body to the stimuli of his touches, even though the rational part of her brain was trying to remind her that she’d agreed to this. “— Oh!”

“No, you don’t. You only hate that you love -- and missed -- this,” he stated smugly as his lips found her breasts. He took one into his warm mouth, applying pressure against her nipple with his tongue, that circled over the pink nub, before releasing it with a wet pop, and then moving his attention to the other one, giving it the same treatment. “You are so _kriffing_ beautiful,” Vader whispered as he nipped along her sensitive skin. His hands moved lower, to her hips as his lips traveled down her body. Vader parted her knees and blew cold air towards the most sensitive part of her body. He dropped kisses on the inner part of her thigh before his mouth hovered above her sex, his gazed moved up to find her dark brown orbs. “Tell me what you want, my love,” he demanded in a rough voice, his hands holding her hips in place.

> “Stop calling me that. It’s a lie, and— No!” she cried out again as he sucked at her breasts. Damn this man, how could he do this so well and yet be so despicable? She whimpered under the aggravatingly skillful ministrations of his hands and his mouth, actively shrieking as he blew against the folds of her clit. Thankfully, his request gave her the outlet she needed for her rage.
> 
> “What do I want? We can start with you getting off me,” she replied immediately, tugging at the sash and trying to make it give way. “And then releasing me. I don’t want to do this anymore, I’ve changed my mind.”

Vader raised his head, shocked. They had barely begun…”What do you mean, you changed your mind?” He scolded, feeling the beast inside of him rear his ugly head. “You haven’t even given me a chance to relax you. You have so much stress pent up, you don’t allow yourself to _feel_! You’re safe with me.” 

> She glared up at him defiantly, secretly somewhat pleased that she’d managed to reach him and that he wasn’t _winning_ the way he normally did. “You promised you would listen to me, now you’re breaking that promise.” She tugged desperately at the silk again, but they still would not give an inch. “If you really do love me, listen to me now, keep your word and let me go… Please…”
> 
> It was a weak attempt, and she knew it, but she was desperate, she needed him to release her… She needed to get out before...

“Tell me why first,” he demanded, not budging. “You had agreed with me and you have barely given me a chance to...to do anything, really. Let me continue.” 

> “If we’re going to keep going, you have to loosen them,” she begged, tears starting to brim in her eyes. “I can’t do this tied up, or I’ll start expecting… please, please, just let me go…”

“Expecting what? I’m not going to mind-trick you again. Padmé, trust me. I can make it alright. Breathe and let me handle you,” Vader nuzzled her neck. 

> “And then I call out for you, and the laughter starts?” she asked hollowly, staring up at the ceiling above her as her mind slipped back into the cellars that had been her worst time in her life. “And then the drugs, and the nightmares, and the chains again until I don’t know anything other than horror and pain?”

Vader stopped touching her as her words made no sense. Placing his hand on her neck, he did something he wasn’t proud of, he looked inside her mind and winced, withdrawing quickly. He didn’t need more. Everything that was happening was bringing back the trauma of when Jabba kidnapped her. “No, no, don’t go down the hole, I’m not going…” He had already hurt her. What started of as an innocent suggestion, was quickly spiraling out of control. With a wave of his hand, the ties fell away and he cradled her cheek again. Worry and concern etched on his face. _I was so stupid..._

“Padmé, please, you are stronger than this,” rising, he picked her up bridal style from the bed and headed for the showers. He allowed her to stand on her legs, a hand supporting her back and turned on the water. He didn’t care if he was dressed. “I’m sorry,” he said cradling her face in his hands. “I didn’t mean for this to happen,” they were soaked by now. 

> She let out a choked gasp of relief as the warm water hit her face and body and her mind began to clear. Or perhaps she was still dreaming, given that she had just heard her husband apologize to her, he was too proud for that. “Never again,” she whispered shakily. “No chains… no being alone, I can’t… I can’t…”

Vader took her in his arms, hugging her. “Never again, Padmé, I promise,” he vowed, kissing her temple gently. “No more chains. No more tying you up games…” he sighed. 

> “I want to go home,” she whispered, hugging him back as the exhaustion overwhelmed her even more. “I don’t like it here, I want to go home where it’s safe and bad things don’t happen, please, please…”

“You are home,” he retorted with a frown before he sighed as he felt her arms around him. Kriff her and kriff this whole situation. He thought for a moment. Vader wanted to tell her she was just tired. That rest would help, but another part of him – unknown and foreign and so deeply concerned about her – told him she needed time away. From him. From the Palace. “I’ll have Fives and Echo take you to Naboo tomorrow. You may stand there for three standard weeks,” Vader decided as he pulled away. His clothes were wet and heavy and he wanted to change them. “Finish your shower and then rest,” he mumbled as he stepped out and started removing the soaked clothing. This was not the way he had planned his morning to go… 

> “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice still trembling slightly. Once he was gone, she slid down onto the floor, the water continuing to run over her. Naboo… Home… she’d get to go home one more time than usual. It almost made the panic and pain that had arisen from this worth it, to spend a little more time in that paradise that was home…. Almost. One more shudder ran through her body as the memory of Jabba’s slimy hands on her skin resurfaced, but the water washed it away just as it did everything else.


	18. Relocation

Three weeks. It had been three weeks and he was ready to pull his hair out. Dara had told him he was impossible to handle in this state and that she couldn’t wait until the Empress was back. It made two of them. Vader knows he has been moodier than usual. His patience was lacking and he was restless. He found himself confessing to Rex that if she wasn’t back soon, he would go and grab her himself!

“Sir,” Rex saluted him at the throne room. “The Empress has arrived.”

Kriffing finally. Vader thought about welcoming her back home, and for a moment it looked like he was going to stand from the throne, but decided against it. She was starting to influence his emotions in the worst way possible again and he couldn’t be subdued to such feelings. It was unthinkable and he needed to separate things. Padmé had made it clear where she stood with him…why bother? “Thank you, Rex.”

The recently promoted Commander frowned behind his helmet. “Sir… won’t you receive her Majesty?”

“She knows her way around.”

Knowing he was being dismissed, Rex nodded and saluted him, before leaving.

Vader sighed. Still... he'd missed her.  

> When her husband was not waiting to greet her and ask how her convalescence had been, Padmé’s suspicions had been to go to her bedchambers and check that he wasn’t waiting there to play at some kind of seduction as a means of apologizing. He wasn’t. Much to her surprise, Fives and Echo informed her that her husband was actually holding court.
> 
> She took the time to change out of her more simple attire from Naboo in favor of a deep purple gown and a winged silver crown affixed in her tightly bound hair and headed for the throne room. All those in attendance fell silent as she entered the hall, watching her approach her husband with a demurely lowered head and clasped hands.
> 
> “I’m terribly sorry to have interrupted things, my lord, but I was worried when I didn’t see you immediately upon my return.”

He hadn’t expected her to show up at court. Vader had distracted himself with holding court and thought that probably, he wouldn’t see her until next morning at breakfast. However, her sudden appearance at the throne room left him surprised. His advisors looked between the couple before Vader cleared his throat and dismissed them for the day.

After they emptied the throne room, a few throwing suspicious glances at the couple, the sovereigns were left alone. “I was in and out of meetings all day and I wasn’t aware you were arriving today,” he informed dismissively. “I do hope that your trip went well and everything is solved.”

His tone was lacking its usual interest as he rose from the throne and wrapped his black robe around him. “When you get the chance, you should speak with Dara. She has been handling a couple of your duties and will be able to update you on what you have missed,” he explained. “I won’t have dinner tonight. If you want to speak tomorrow, we can do it at breakfast.” 

> “Should I expect you to see you before tomorrow morning at all?” she asked quietly. “Or did you find someone else to take up the task of tending to your insatiable libido while I was away?” It was a cold question, one that bordered on cruel, but she didn’t appreciate being delegated to his apprentice, or that he had barely addressed her wellbeing. Force, he didn’t even seem to care, he was treating her like an obligation rather than his wife! Wasn’t he the one who was always trying to insist on pet names for her and convince her that she enjoyed their marriage?
> 
> She did not know what to make of him, even more than usual. Either this was another sick game of his, or he had legitimately tired of her… except she dared not hope for the latter. She knew which way led her out of this marriage, and it was a thought she refused to entertain.

“No,” he replied to her initial question before the following one stopped him in his tracks. Vader swallowed. It’s not like he hasn’t entertained the idea of finding someone actually willing to touch him and please him. He had even participated in a few of his troops’ private parties and met women who were more than interested in spending the night with the Emperor but he found that he couldn’t do much besides flirting and entertaining them without feeling guilty for betraying his wife. There was one truth he desperately tried to hide. He was lonely. Lonelier than usual and for several nights he wondered if seeking someone else’s company would be so bad, given that his wife had rejected him entirely. “Maybe. Why do you care?” His reply was equally cold and cruel.

The thought that he might be gaining real feelings about Padmé terrified him. That wasn’t something he planned at all and during these weeks – these insufferable, long, never ending weeks – he has been thinking of how pathetic he has become, on letting himself become so affected by her absence. Vader has decided that putting distance between them, giving each other reasons to not be close, were the best way to end whatever was stirring inside of him. Unfortunately for him, it wouldn’t be that simple. They were bonded by tragic events that scarred them both. He had moments of weakness before. Moments where he asked for forgiveness, where he took care of her and worried about her wounded heart. He needed to think if keeping her with him was worth all the trouble. **_Yes, she is!_** A voice inside of his mind screamed. They needed to find a common ground, but he doesn’t know how.

“After speaking with Dara, you should stop by the med-bay for a checkup and then, if you want, retire to your chambers.”

> “It reflects poorly on both of us for you to carry on with such indiscretions,” she answered haughtily. “Even if Sheev Palpatine no longer lives to breathe down our necks, the Holonet would love to be able to break some kind of a scandal about us, just for the entertainment and business it would create for them.”
> 
> She didn’t care what he did on his own, so long as it didn’t make trouble for her. She didn’t care that he had extorted sex out of her when their marriage began and was now completely fine with casting her aside. She didn’t care, she didn’t… _she didn’t_ …
> 
> “Something to add to the agenda, then my lord,” she retorted, moving a little closer and looking him dead in the eye. “I’d like a different set of rooms. The old ones have too many unpleasant memories, and I don’t think it’s helpful to my health for me to remain there. I’m sure you can find somewhere appropriate, and my staff can oversee the transition. Threepio will be delighted to have such an important task.”

“My indiscretions, My Lady, will only leak to the Holonet with my permission,” Vader hissed, yellow eyes glowing. Why did he give her such importance? He should turn away, ignore her and until she came to him, not speak with her again, but she…oh, she got under his skin and he hated it. “What? You care about a scandal? What will they say about you…the uptight Senator from Naboo is unable to please her husband, so he seeks other women’s attention? That would be the most talked about thing in Naboo, wouldn’t it?” He was being cruel and he knew – Force, he knew – he didn’t have to.

His behavior came from years of fighting emotions. The last time he was ever loved, he felt compassion or felt wanted was when he was nine and his Mother was alive. It had been sixteen years since then.

“Fine, you can stay with the entire wing of the other end of the Palace if you want it,” he snapped. “Get your handmaidens to move your things, but Threepio is busy,” more like, turned off in his own room, waiting for him to finish his updates of his circuits and languages. “He won’t be able to assist you for a while.”

> “And what about the story where the Emperor couldn’t keep his wife safe from a Rebel attack and failed to care for her in the aftermath so completely that she had to leave the palace before she had a full breakdown?” she shot back. “You’re deluding yourself if you think the people of Naboo will see me as anything other than the wronged party if it’s revealed you’re keeping mistresses or concubines!”
> 
> Unable to hold herself back, she slapped him across the face, tears spilling over her cheeks as she did so. “You are a horrible, selfish, arrogant fool, and I cannot believe that I thought you… You…”

“If said wife hadn’t been a Rebel sympathizer and too trustworthy, maybe it would have been avoided,” Vader growled. Honestly, was she trying to pin her kidnapping on him? “I allowed you to go home and rest, that was what you wanted. I could have kept you locked inside the Palace or in the med-bay until you were deemed fine by med-droids, but not, I allowed you to go back to Naboo, alone. Poor little Senator, she’s been cheated on. I am sure people will cry a river on your behalf!”

Vader could prevent a lot of things, however, he wasn’t expecting her hand to collide with his face. He had been so hell bent on making his little speech he never read her intentions in time. He was shocked for a moment, face slightly turned and his face reddening and burning. “You thought what?” Vader scowled, as he shook his head and his wild, blonde curls fell in front of his blazing yellow eyes. “What did you think besides me being a despicable human being, horrible, selfish, arrogant fool, and oh, let’s not forget, monster. You have made very clear what you think and feel about me but unfortunately, we’re stuck with each other. Welcome to the rest of your blasting life!”

He stormed out of the throne room before he lost his control. He ignored his troops, everything around him, and isolated himself on the meditation room of the far end of the Palace, on the emptiest wing. He has been using the room as an escape. Inside, he screamed for a minute, everything bursting to pieces around him, with the way the Force blew around him.

 _The only thing that love will do to you, is hurt you and manipulate you to be the weaker version of yourself,_ he remembered some of Sidious’ words as he let himself fall to the floor, sitting against the door.  “I hate her, I hate her so much,” he closed his eyes, whispering. 

> _I thought it might actually be true that you care about me._
> 
> That had been the traitorous sentence she hadn’t been able to say. She watched him storm away like the short-tempered bastard that he was and wondered if she had struck him hard enough to leave a mark. Probably not, considering he could use the Force to heal it.
> 
> Now she knew she was losing herself. She had never once struck a person in anger like this… She had to get out of here. Not just for three weeks, but for good. How long could she possibly survive and still be herself before she was completely gone? But the only ways to do that were death or submission to him… providing him with a child. But that was never, ever going to happen again. Not after losing Cordé.
> 
> Ever since her abduction and the rush of activity around the coronation, suicide had crossed her mind more than a few times, but she knew that it would solve nothing other than breaking her family’s heart and give Vader an opportunity to frame it on the Rebels. Not that he needed much reason to make the public hate them after the kidnapping. That left her trapped with her husband, so she would take what little space she could have.
> 
> Dormé and Sabé were not pleased to find out that they had to start moving her things into a new wing of the palace, considering that they’d already been busy arranging for a visit from the Queen of Zygerria that was only a month away, but one look at their mistress’ face and they knew not to argue.
> 
> Somewhere in the hustle of moving, a small black holo-record got knocked loose, and Padmé bent down to pick it up. It wasn’t one of hers, it was…. A little boy. And a woman with kind, worn features. And… Threepio?

After a few hours of troubled meditation, Vader was calmer. Or so he liked to think. As he got back to his chambers, he noticed that all of his wife’s things were gone already, as he expected. Even if he didn’t accept it, there was a stab of hurt to his heart as he faced his empty room again. If still smelled faintly of her fragrance…shaking his head, he groaned, knowing that he needed to get a grip.

He went to his side of the bed and sat down. Opening the drawer of his bedside table he searched for the only holo-record he had of his Mother, only to find the drawer empty. Vader’s stomach dropped. _No, no, no. It was here. It was there yesterday._ He looked at it every day. He stood up and ripped the drawer from the table, to dump all of it’s contains on top of the bed. Nothing.

Vader went into a sense of panic (no, not Vader, but Anakin) as he realized it was gone. It had been the only thing he had to remind him of whom had been Shmi Skywalker. The holo had been a record for a couple of months before her death, sixteen standard years to the day. He had finished Threepio and was showing it off to his Mother, who had congratulated him and kissed his cheek sweetly, running her fingers through his hair. In that moment, he was truly happy.  

If he…if he lost the holo, he would… he would forget her. Forget the only person in this entire Galaxy that ever loved him, that ever knew him before the touch of the dark side, he couldn’t…he had to find it. The mattress was turned upside down and every drawer – bedside tables, vanities, closet – flew out of their place and their contents were dropped to the floor.

Where is it? Where is it? **_Mom, help me find it!_**   

> _“Do you like him?”_
> 
> _“Ani, he’s perfect.”_
> 
> _“Well, I made him for you, Mom. To help you out. So he’s gotta be.”_
> 
> _The woman bent down and kissed the top of the little boy’s blond hair. “I love him. And I love you so much, my sweet boy.”_
> 
> _Ani_ …. Padmé remembered that name very briefly, remembered hearing it after her rescue from Tatooine… This was Vader…. Vader with his mother. It was so odd to think of him even having a mother, but the evidence was right in front of her eyes, clear as day. The terrifying Emperor of the Galaxy, the Lord of the Sith… had once been a sweet little boy. Had once had a mother who loved him. And it made her think things she refused to admit to herself.
> 
> “I’ll catch up with you in a moment,” she told Dormé and Sabé, turning to hurry back towards Vader’s rooms. She turned off the record, probably because she knew it would not do her any favors if he knew she had seen what was on it.


	19. Reconfiguration

Rex was startled to see her back so soon, to say the least, but he still knocked on the door. “Sir, your wife’s here. I think she wants to give you something.” Both Empress and clone cringed at the unintended double entendre.

Vader was irrationally annoyed at the clone’s voice until his words sank in. What did she want? Hasn’t she done enough to him already? He had half a mind to send her packing to her new quarters when he decided that if he got rid of her now, he would be left to search for the holo-record in peace. To help him, he was going to fix Threepio in record time. Maybe the droid knew where it was.

With a wave of his hand, the doors to his chambers opened, more forcefully than usual, slamming against the wall. “What do you want, aren’t your rooms big enough?” He snapped, not even looking at her, just staring at the floor, hoping that the holo would show itself. “I am…” the room was completely destroyed. “Renovating,” he finished dryly.

Finally turning to her, his attention was immediately captured by the holo in her hands. Hissing, he waved his hand again, and the holo-record left her hands abruptly to land in his own. Oh, thank the Force. **_Thank you, Mom. I found it._** Now all Padmé needed to do was to turn around and leave him alone with the holo. “Why did you have it?” He demanded. “Did you play it?” Vader added.  

> “It got mixed up in my things while Dormé and Sabé were moving them,” she answered, biting her lip so as not to make any comment about the havoc he’d wreaked on the chamber. “And no, I didn’t play it. I just… I knew it wasn’t mine, so therefore it had to be yours. And that it must have some meaning to you.”
> 
> There was something in his eyes, a desperation that confirmed her suspicions of just how much it meant to him. And reminded her that however reprehensible his behavior might have been, he was still human. She could either keep up this feud and make both of them miserable or she could take the high ground and maybe…. maybe there was a chance she could reawaken the person that he’d been.
> 
> “I… I crossed the line in the throne room. You were very kind in letting me go home to recover, and I was horrible in how I behaved. I’m sorry. For what I said and what I did…”

Vader nodded, knowing that she was being honest in her apology. He placed the holo-record inside his robes, making a mental note to find a safe place for it. “Thank you,” he said quietly but didn’t pursue her comment about the meaning of the holo. If she only knew what it meant to him…his Mother, her voice, her sweet words…

He was surprised and you could tell in his face. His numb cheek reminded him of the slap he received earlier, he has been so angry that he hasn’t thought about making the mark disappear, and the harsh words he spoke.

“You’re–you are actually–oh, hmm, thank you. For apologizing,” he nodded quietly. Shifting on his feet, Vader thought about the next move. She was waving a peace flag and he could take it or carry on with the horrible dark cloud above them. “I was not on my best behavior either,” he admitted. “I apologize too, for what happened in the throne room. It was your fault as much as it was mine,” Vader sighed. “If it helps…or if it does something…I haven’t found anyone to…what did you say? Oh, satisfy my insatiable libido.” 

> She winced. “Again, I’m sorry. Though, if you are in the market, I’m sure the Queen of Zygerria would be happy to volunteer her services when she comes to visit. You remember that’s coming up, yes?” It was an immature joke, but the memory of that revolting woman from the coronation and the blatant lust that had been in her eyes when she’d offered the newly crowned Emperor her congratulations had been etched in Padmé’s brain for months, and it still made her blood boil.

It actually amused him that she was still bitter about the Queen of Zygerria. “I have principles, My Lady, I do not bed any woman,” he replied dryly. “The Queen of Zygerria is coming here so we can discuss peace and trading agreements. She was open to speaking with you about the slavery bill and will start implementing it on her planet if we can reach an agreement, of course. Was that all? I need to finish…my renovations.”

> “She wants me dead and this visit is purely so she can see what the duties of the Empress are before she sends her assassins after me,” Padmé muttered stubbornly. “There’s no way she’s actually interested in any legislature that will cripple the economy of her world and take away her precious comforts. But no, my lord, there was nothing else I wanted to talk about. But I think that the other end of the palace is too far to make any logical sense, so I asked Dormé and Sabé to move my things into the suite that overlooks the gardens. I hope that’s not objectionable to you.”

“So very dramatic of you,” Vader rolled his eyes. “If the Queen of Zygerria is hoping to assassinate you, then she will fail. I trust my troops and the security of the castle. If she’s caught trying to murder the Empress, it would be considered treason and treated as such. Her economy would crumble in the end and I would have to take measures to control her system. Measures that I have, ready, at any moment. The Queen won’t start a war with me. Not if she’s smart,” Vader explained and then frowned. “Those are three doors down, do you think that’s enough distance from me? Better see to that,” he drawled out. 

 

> “Distance from you wasn't I wanted,” she corrected. “Not everything is directly your fault. But these are the rooms I most associate with my kidnapping, and everything that happened because of it. I don’t feel safe in these rooms, and it took what happened the last time for me to realize it. You’re free to visit me in the new suite, for the usual reasons, provided you’re a gentleman about it and ask me before…. experimenting.”

“That’s not what you’ve been implying in every sentence since you have arrived at the Palace for the first time,” Vader muttered, annoyed. “You should have told me. It has been many months since the kidnapping. Maybe if you had shared your fears with me before, you would have been allowed to move without being under these circumstances,” he scoffed. “Gentleman? I see. You want me to make love to you, is that it?” Vader shook his head, not letting her reply. “I am not visiting you anymore,” he announced. It has been something that he has been thinking since she left. Why pursue something that he knew was already over? He didn’t know how many rejections he could still handle. 

> “We all process trauma differently,” she retorted quietly. But the second thing that he said caught her off guard.”What? Why? I… I don’t understand. What about…”

“Yes, we do,” in that they could both agree on. “You sound surprised and… disappointed? I thought you would be happy that I was finally getting off of you and that I stopped extorting sex from your unwilling self,” Vader snapped, glaring at her. “What about what? Padmé, there’s nothing I want from you. What’s the point?” He finishes dropping his shoulders.  

> “Well, when you put it that way, of course it sounds terrible,” she huffed. “I’ve been asking what the point of all this one since we were married, but I’m trying right now. I am honestly trying, and… you’re not exactly making it easy for me to understand what it is you _do_ want.”

The fact that they were talking and not shouting, gave him the courage to be a little closer to her. _I want someone to love and to love me back unconditionally. I don’t want to be alone. I’m tired of being alone._ “You wouldn’t understand,” he whispered and then he noticed he was a few inches away from her. 

> Padmé bit her lip and turned her head aside. “I suppose I can’t argue with that logic,” she said bluntly. “Was there anything else you needed to say to me?”

“It would be too...too hard on the Galaxy if our marriage ended. At least for now. Maybe...maybe after a while we can speak about it, see if we can compromise on something.” Was there anything else for them? Vader couldn’t ask her for an heir anymore. Not after Cordé and after everything that had transpired. Leaving her shackled to this marriage was selfish and cruel...but he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet. Maybe one day later he would have to, just not right now.  

> Padmé finally noticed the distance and stepped away, lowering her head. Things were getting far too… close, reminding her of all the potential they’d lost in the last year. “I need to take some time for myself, please... I’m going to go oversee the last of my things’ transition into my new rooms. Unless you have some need of me before then, I’ll see you in the morning.”

At her last comment, something flashed in his eyes and he grabbed her wrist. “Don’t speak like I used you like you’re some kind of sexual slave, just here to satisfy me. I won’t admit that you use that label on me. I know our story and _what_ happened before and...a line was crossed and I recognized it, didn’t I?” he released her wrist. “I won’t bother you, My Lady, you won’t have to worry about me going to knock on your door, demanding sex anymore,” his tone was less than pleased. He was downright pissed and annoyed. “You should go and oversee the rest of the change. I have a bedchamber that needs fixing.” 

> “I never said that need had to be sexual,” Padmé pointed out calmly. “You made that assumption yourself. I’ve recognized my failures, I apologized for them and I am trying to get us to a point where we can try to move past it. Just now, you were the one who decided there was no possibility I could be doing anything other than being cruel. And I will acknowledge the fact that my behavior over the course of our marriage has given you cause to believe that, but neither of us will be making any progress if we cannot try to move past that. And since we do have to coexist with each other for the time being, I’d prefer it if we could do it peacefully and without immediately assuming the worst of each other. It is work I am willing to do if you are. Please think about that.” She stepped away and headed back towards her new rooms, hoping that she hadn’t just thrown fuel on a fire with her words.

“We assume the worst of each other because you never thought to see me more than the monster that you’ve always assumed I was. Did you even care to get to know me? My reasons?” Vader knew he was going down a path that would allow her to know him, but at this point, he knew if she was willing to coexist, he needed to show he would be as well. “The answer is no. You grabbed on to the notion that Sidious and I were two peas in a pod and nobody could convince you otherwise,” he stepped away too and turned back to the mess that was his room. He rolled his eyes and asked Rex to call a few servants to put everything back in place.

He spent the rest of the evening and night, at his office. Vader played the holo-record, over and over again. It was the only thing he was able to keep hidden from Sidious all these years. This and a small japor snippet he had carved for his Mom a few weeks before she died. It was the only things that he from her. Sighing, he raised his yellow eyes to Threepio. He was turned off, chest plate open and waiting for him to finish his tinkering. Vader needed to head for the med-bay and get his treatment. Given that Sidious spent so many years delighting himself with the use of a Sith lightning education, his brain had become scarred and he was often the victim of horrible headaches. Almost like a small aneurysm that kept growing and growing until it blew up. The treatments provided by advanced bacta, allowed him to deal with the scarring easier.

“Don’t worry, Threepio, I’ll finish you once I’m back.” 

> * * *
> 
> The following morning, Threepio walked inside Padmé’s bedchambers, chattering away. “Oh, Mistress Padmé, how good it is to see you,” he said cheerfully. “Master Vader was impossible during your time away. I believed he missed you. Artoo and I could not phantom on how to handle him. He did update me while you were gone, My Lady, reason why I wasn’t able to receive you yesterday,” he informed. “Master Vader is having breakfast at the dining hall, will you join him?”
> 
> “Oh… yes, yes, of course.” Padmé grabbed a robe from her closet without waiting for Dormé and Sabé and started to head down to the dining hall to meet Vader. Then she stopped short, turning to look back at her droid. “What do you mean, he missed me?”
> 
> “Well, just that, my lady. He was in quite the foul disposition during the time you were away, I believe he even snapped at the Commander at one point.”
> 
> “That doesn’t mean he missed me, Threepio, it just means he was angry. He gets that way quite frequently,” she reminded him.
> 
> “Oh, no, I know my maker, and this was different.” Padmé sighed, knowing better than to get into an argument with the droid and instead, resumed her journey to join her husband for breakfast.
> 
> “Good morning, my lord.”

Vader had barely slept. Fortunately, his room was fixed by early morning and he was able to shower and change. He had a few meetings in the afternoon, but his morning was free, so he took the time to have a relaxed breakfast. While he ate, alone (when was he ever _not_ alone?), he read his datapad. The reports of the Senate meetings were taking up a huge chunk of his drive’s space. With everything that comes with being the Emperor, handling the Senate was the last thing he liked to do! Force, he needed someone to take over the Senate. Take it off his hands. Sidious might have liked to have all the power, Vader just found it suffocating at times.

At his wife’s voice, his head snapped up. Vader was not expecting her company, even if she had waved the white flag yesterday, he thought she would keep her distance from him. Then an idea popped into his mind. She could do it. “Good morning, My Lady,” then he saw that she was still in her nightgown and robe. He bit the inside of his cheek. “Didn’t feel like getting dressed today, was it?” It was a bit refreshing to see her in her most natural state. She had no idea how he enjoyed seeing her without those dresses that felt like it took an army to put her on it and without the headpieces that hid her beautiful, luscious curls. “I sent Threepio your way. I’ve fixed a few of his circuits and I tried to make him less of a chatterbox but I don’t think that’s possible,” he teased.  

> “While I appreciate the intent behind it, please don’t do it again. I think he’s perfect exactly as he is,” Padmé told her husband as she took a seat across from him. “And I only just woke up, I didn’t feel I needed to be in full regalia just to have breakfast. I’ll take care of that before going to my meetings today. They’re not for a few hours, I have time enough.”
> 
> He looked exhausted, but she knew better than to point it out. They both knew why he would be so. “Lunch in the gardens might be pleasant today if you’re interested,” she suggested, trying to think of a subject that was completely innocuous.

Vader turned to look at Threepio who had followed Padmé into the dining hall. His lips turned a little upwards as he remembers that his Mother used the exact same words to describe him.

“He’s a droid. There’s always room for improvement. I don’t want him to be outdated. I was nine when I made him, I couldn’t have done everything right, so I always try to fix those little initial mistakes. Can’t expect a nine-year-old slave to know everything,” and then he froze. Completely. His body went rigid. He was distracted, reading the datapad and didn’t even realize with whom he was talking to. Not being well rested and having her be so…nice…to him, made the wrong combination.

He blamed it on her stupid idea of coexisting. “I’ll join you at lunch, then,” pushing the chair back, Vader gathered his things to leave. _Force, why did I say that?_  

> Slave? She’d guessed that he hadn’t been very well-off from the holo, but a slave? Somehow, it made things make a little more sense. Becoming the Emperor was probably the first time in his life he didn’t have to call anyone his master. She watched him go, then tried to speak up again.
> 
> “Is there anything I can do to help you today? Threepio mentioned you were rather overworked over the last few days, I could take a look if it would help. In between my own meetings, obviously, but still.”

Either she didn’t pay attention of what he said or she was pretending that she hadn’t listened. Whatever it was, Vader was glad she didn’t touch the subject. “Oh, he has?” Vader said dryly turning to look at his traitor droid.

“Well, Master Vader, you have been very tired and if I may, unbearable, for the past three weeks. If you allow Mistress Padmé to help you may—”

Threepio didn’t get a chance to finish. “Thank you, Threepio,” Vader said sharply. He sighed, then turned to his wife. “If you want, you can handle the Senate sessions today. It would give me a break from that whole charade.”

Shifting awkwardly on his feet, Vader cleared his throat. One hand coming to rub the back of his neck, as his fingers felt the small scar of when the chip was removed, not very long ago, actually. “You speak their language. I think you’ll do great,” he explained. “I’ll see you at lunch, My Lady,” he said quietly, before leaving, _running_ actually. 

> “The Senate?” she repeated, dumbstruck. He was actually willing to give her control of the Senate, at least for a day? It didn’t seem anything like him, but maybe this was his attempt to honor their new coexistence. Giving her something to do that she might actually enjoy. But then again, the way he practically bolted from the room left her a little concerned. Had she said something wrong?
> 
> Questions for which she would have to wait for answers. If she was to run the Senate today, she needed to prepare immediately. She finished her breakfast and hurried back to her rooms. “Sabé, I need you to get me all the information on what items are to be discussed in today’s session of the Senate. Dormé, please get the datapad of my wardrobe, I need something... impressive. The Emperor asked me to run today’s session of the Senate, and I need to look the part.”
> 
> For a moment, they were as shocked as she was, but their training quickly took over and they started rushing to help her prepare. After all, Empress Amidala could not afford to be anything less than perfect today.


	20. Ascension

Not having to handle the Senate had given him time to spend with his troops, verify strategies and blockades. It allowed Vader time to breathe and actually think between meetings, being able to get more work done. He would compare the Senate to a school full of children yelling at each other to get their way and then sulking when they didn’t. He made a face. He was very glad he didn’t have to do it today and he would gladly hand Padmé that duty.

_Maybe I should just hand her the power over the Senate._

But would that be wise? Not that he didn’t trust Padmé with political decisions, if someone knew politics and how to work them, it was her. Vader just didn’t believe that she had the Empire’s intentions at heart. She was always against it and given her the power over the Senate, would be handing her the power to minimize his power and his Empire. Things that he couldn’t allow to happen.

Before he knew it, it was lunch hour. Vader thought if he should go. He said he would be there but he also could say that something came up last minute. But over the last twenty-four hours, they made progress and Vader would like to keep her satisfied.

Noticing he was late, he just rushed from his office. At the gardens, he cleared his throat. “I give you the Senate and suddenly you’re a new person. I apologize for being late,” he notices. Something is different in her Force signature and the way she dressed…it was to impress. To be respected. He admired that. “How was it? To get back into the action, but with another level of power?” Vader asked as he sat across from her.

> “It’s repulsive,” Padmé said bluntly, unable to keep the scowl off her face as she tore into a piece of bread rather savagely. “It’s been barely a year since I left, how have they descended into this much immaturity and selfishness and stagnation in that time! And do not try to tell me it was always this bad!”
> 
> She took a long, violent drink and slammed her glass down on the table with a loud bang. “And the worst of it is the representatives from Kamino, the Banking Clan, and the Trade Federation! Profiteers all, I swear! They are fueling this conflict in the Senate for all they possibly can and lining their pockets with the results! It’s no wonder the Alliance so easily garners sympathy from the common people when there is this much corruption and laundering within the part of the government meant to represent them!”
> 
> Calling this an outburst of passion was not at all accurate, Padmé was nothing short of furious. “Are you aware of the proposal they’re pushing to further deregulate the banks? It’s criminal! If anything, they should be getting enormous increases on their taxes to bring those credits back into the economy for public works and social services!”

Vader wanted to laugh, but he didn’t think it would well-received by his wife. Well, she was right in every observation. The fact was that, for Vader, the Senate has always been corrupt and unfair, always trying to fill their own pockets rather than help their people, their planets. It was not very far from the truth when she told him why people sympathized with Rebels.

As she ranted about what was wrong with the Senate and the unbelievably unfair bills they wanted to push forward, he thought deeply about it. Padmé was the most capable Senator he has met and one of the reasons he had been taken by her, was because of her honesty and genuine care about helping others. He found her naive, yes, but that was because when they'd met, she had been. The sheltered life she'd led as the Queen of Naboo didn’t prepare her correctly for the brutality of the Empire.

As his wife, as the Empress, she had gained a thicker skin and other knowledge.

“Maybe you and I can reach an agreement?” Vader spoke as he sipped on his drink. “I will hand to you temporary control of the Senate. To see how it goes,” he started. “I’m sure there are a lot of things you will need to change or want to. I trust your political skills, it’s just…” he was not sure how to say it without making her angry. “I’m not so sure I can trust you to have the Empire’s best interests at heart,” he finished. “Don’t…get me wrong, I know you never agreed with the Empire and there are things you don’t believe in. I am conscious you are not the biggest supporter of this regime.”

Sighing, he looked around them. Maybe he could give her a chance. He wanted to. It’s just…it was hard to trust people. He had Dara, whom he trusted. He had Rex, he trusted him as well. But his wife, the woman that he should trust the most…he didn’t. Not yet, anyway.

“Tell me about your ideas. If I passed the full power of the Senate to your hands, what would you do?”

> “Full power?” Padmé repeated, raising an eyebrow and wondering if she’d heard him correctly. “I suppose my priority would be pushing to redistribute the military budget in favor of other departments. As it is, there’s been three times as much spent on the army than on any other department within our jurisdiction.” She was so involved in thinking about it that she didn’t realize she’d used a plural pronoun. _Our_ jurisdiction. As if she were _actively_ aligned with the Empire, rather than just the reluctant participant “Things like schools... Food, power, and other necessities for those who aren’t in a place of financial comfort.”
> 
> She couldn’t stop wondering what his game was here. “I might not agree with the way the current regime enforces things, but I care about the people above all else. And at the end of the day, there is no Empire, nor any other form of government, if there are no people to follow it. To that extent, I might also recommend enforcing term limits upon the Senate as a whole. As it stands, many of my... honorable former colleagues sit quite prettily in the luxury that comes with knowing no one else will be coming forward as a replacement. It would be a clear way to fight against this kind of corruption, at least to a degree.”
> 
> _Popular rule is not the same as democracy. It gives the people what they want, rather than what they need._ That was what she had said when she had refused a third term and stepped down as Queen of Naboo. She knew, of course, that it was pointless to think of the Empire as a democracy, the two were polar opposites, but it was everything she’d ever really known, all she had to go on. “I have no wish to become a dictator. But I want to make things better, and the system we have now is just... too extreme for anything else.”

“You know how much the Empire depends on our military. We need to have troops ready if we want to defend ourselves from our enemies, the Rebels,” Vader narrowed his eyes. Trust Padmé to cut down the thing that was holding up the Empire. “If they knew our troops were suffering budget cuts, they would see that as an opening for more attacks, for bloodshed. Have you thought about that?” He pointed out. “I’m not saying that we shouldn’t invest in other fields. Education and feeding our people is one of my biggest priorities, but the Rebels are a very real threat, that I need to think about. Constantly.”

At her comment about her colleagues, he smirked. “You are the Empress. If you want to replace the current members of the Senate, you should take measures of such. I do agree with you. Our Senate is old and arrogant. Confident and corrupt. If elections were to be made, I am sure you would pick the right people.”

Vader rolled his eyes. “Are you saying I’m a dictator? I am trying to deliver the powers that Sidious took to himself, back to their rightful owners. I have to focus on this Empire, on ruling it fairly. But I need to give them to people I trust and right now until proven otherwise, I don’t believe I can trust you defend this Empire. You have people’s interests at heart at that is honorable, but you can’t give people what they want, you need to think about what they need. We can’t undo what Sidious did all these years in such a short amount of time, but we do need to prove we are trying.”

Leaning back in his chair, he ran a hand through his unruly blonde hair. “Do what must be done, but I have the final word. At the end of this week, you’ll bring the changes that you to a meeting where I will promise to take in consideration your opinion. If it shows it’s beneficial for the Empire, I will accept it.”

> “I’m not calling for a full redistribution, just some cutbacks. Namely on clone production. The way that clone troopers are regarded right now is repulsive, and I think that the people would be better served if we took better care of the troops already commissioned, rather than constantly growing more,” she explained patiently. “It would certainly improve morale and an army in high spirits is one that works better together, yes?” Now, she was hearing herself and she almost couldn’t believe it. But this... she had a chance to make a difference, for the better. Where was the line supposed to be drawn? And... had he just read her mind, echoed her thoughts? She shook the thought off, trying to refocus on the conversation.
> 
> “I would prefer to allow planets to continue nominating their own representatives to the Senate. If I chose the replacements, the accusations of corruption would only continue, this time leveled at the two of us. Because, my lord, good intentions or otherwise, the fact remains that as Emperor, you wield far more power than anyone else in the galaxy and because your say is the final word on all things, it makes you a dictator, albeit a more benevolent one than your predecessor.”
> 
> She reached out, carefully taking his hand. “I don’t say these things to upset you or antagonize you, but to be honest with you. One of the things I was taught when I was very young is that a leader must know how to recognize shortcomings and work to turn them into a strength rather than a weakness. Everyone is so afraid of you that they wouldn’t dream of telling you that you’re doing something that might not be the best course of action. So long as you allow me to help the people, I will work to the best of my abilities, but if you think that I don’t have their best interests at heart, I am willing to listen to your input and to compromise.”

Her hand on top of his surprised him, as did her words. “That’s what I want to do too. I want to help people, I want to make their lives better,” Vader said. “I know what is the Sith’s reputation, but I’ve always been different. There were always something more to me, to my connection with the Force. As much as Sidious tried to break me completely – and believe me, he tried – the other part, was always there,” he explained. “I will accept your help. In fact, removing the Senate from my hands right now gives me time to properly prepare for the Zygerrian Queen. I want to have a treaty with no loophole possible. Also, once you get the time, my advisers have requested that we add your slavery bill to our contract. It’s time we stop slavery in this Galaxy, starting with Zygerria and working our way to other planets.”

> “I suggest you be prepared to answer any accusations she might have regarding the clones then. There are some who would argue that growing men for the purpose of fighting and dying in someone else’s battles would be slavery just as much as what happens on Zygerria,” she pointed out. “But I’d be happy to have Threepio give you the current drafts of what I have. I have about ten on any given proposal at any given time. An old habit I’ve never fully broken.”
> 
> Finishing with her meal, she wiped at her face for a moment, then stood. “I’m going to go back to my rooms and make sure I’ve got everything in order for the afternoon session. Will I see you at dinner tonight, or will you be in council meetings all day?”

“The clone production is a necessity to the protection of the Empire. The clones have everything they need after they left production. They have a roof over their heads, they have food and clothes. Slaves are not treated with the same humanity. The Queen can try to provoke me with that, but she won’t be successful,” Vader pointed out. “Current drafts? Ten?” He narrowed his eyes. “Pick one, the one most suitable to present to the Queen and be done with it. I am not going to read ten drafts of the same bill.”

Vader thought for a moment. “I think so, yes. Only if my last meeting drags for very long will I miss dinner. If that happens, I’ll have someone inform you.” 

> “They’re not identical, you may want to see for yourself,” Padmé warned. “But if you really trust me that much, I’ll do my best to find one that will satisfy you. I can see this matters a great deal to you. I’ll look them over tonight and get one to you by the morning. Until dinner, my lord.”
> 
> She headed back to her office and started sorting through the drafts for the one that would best cover all the subjects she wanted without being too alienating for their would-be ally. To keep herself from getting too overwhelmed with that, she alternated it with drafting an executive order for term limits to the Senate. To her surprise, she only needed the one draft. A maximum of two five-year terms seemed to be absolutely perfect.
> 
> Of course, many members of the Senate did not agree when she brought the order forth during the afternoon session. Some of them screamed at the tyranny of it, others claimed they were being punished for no reason, that it was the fault of others, and she found it very difficult not to lose her temper.
> 
> “This is exactly why this order is necessary! All of you have grown more interested in petty squabbles and placing blame than in serving the people you were sent here to represent! Sheev Palpatine might have encouraged such childish behavior, but I will not. Changes need to be made around here, regardless of how you may feel about it. We will be adjourning early for today, but I expect each and every one of you to contact the heads of state on your respective homeworlds and inform them of the changes that I will be making so that they can plan accordingly!”

Dara had called him to watch the Senate meeting, from behind the curtain. Vader stood, watching as his Empress handled the Senate. His eyes shining with pride and maybe something else. Dara next to him chuckled. “You’ve picked a winner.”

“I have extremely good taste,” he replied as he retired before the meeting ended and went back to finish his meeting with his advisers. The peace treaty for the Queen of Zygerria was drafted. No wars. Trading agreements. Peace. That was what Vader fought for. While the Queen was not the most pleasant being to be around, he had to make that effort so he had her system as an ally.

Padmé’s fears about her were rational, but he wouldn’t fill her mind with those thoughts. The Queen wouldn’t make a move on his wife, she would have to be crazy to do such. Vader would have her executed in less than an hour should Padmé’s life ever be threatened. He didn’t care about what wars could explode. He had the army and the political power to end it and take control of the planet by force. It was not the correct method, but he would do it.

Entering the dining hall, he sat in his place, smiling at his wife. “I enjoyed your stance today. At the Senate. You were remarkable,” he praised. 

> “You were watching?” she asked in shock. She had expected him to be busy all day, and she certainly hadn’t thought he would have used his free time to come and see her in the Senate. “I… thank you. I didn’t mean to lose my temper like that, but they’re all so…. infantile. It’s an embarrassment to everyone in there.”
> 
> There was a time when she might have accused him of fueling such childishness, but that was really more Palpatine’s game. Vader’s was simply not to care, seeing as he held the final say in everything.
> 
> “I hope that we can start being a little more productive about this soon. Until then, what did you think of the bill I chose? I do still have the other drafts if you need to make changes,” she offered. “After all, I think we can both agree, regardless of our opinions on the current spending rate, another conflict would stretch the army thinner than we need right now, and send us further into debt. To that effect, I checked the protocols, and I need your authorization in order to raise taxes on Kamino and the Banking Clan, they’re still our best chance at revitalizing the economy.”

Vader nodded, listening to her with a grin. He had been right. Naboo did bring her to life and he was happy for that. His wife looked like she was back to her normal self, with the help of getting back to work. “I don’t see that as losing your temper. They were irrational. Needed to be put in line. You did what you had to do. If…” he took a deep breath, staring right into her eyes. “If I am letting go of a few powers Sidious had as an Emperor and giving them to the Senate, I will need to know that corruption has been erased. I will need to trust that the people representing their systems are doing the right choice. I will only relinquish the powers after I am sure of that.”

He shook his head. “No, no more drafts. You really enjoy doing them,” he chuckled, amused. “The bill is perfect, it fits into the treaty. I don’t want more wars. That was what Sidious wanted. If I can have the same troops for a long, long, long period of time, I will have them. I am not a fan of replacing people just because Kamino breeds them. I trust the army I have now. I’ve sculpted it, trained it and they are loyal. I agree with you on that,” he nodded. “Oh, you have it. If they protest too much, send them to me. Let’s see if they still want to whine about it,” with an evil glint in his eye, he winked.

This…this felt so natural. Discussing the rehabilitation of the Galaxy with his wife, his Empress. Being able to talk, listen to each other and be with each other without a screaming match…it was a nice change. A change he would like to keep. Now that Padmé had work, had something that he could clearly see she loved, she had another aura around her. “You’re enjoying this,” he declared. “Being back at work. Even if it’s to clean up the Senate and handled childish and petty men.”

> “I like having things to do, yes,” she agreed, taking a drink with a shrug. “I’ve never been overly thrilled with the social aspects of my position, things like hosting parties and making small talk. I was good at it, I had to be, but I hated it. Which was why I hated being just… there, at court after our marriage. It didn’t feel like I was doing anything useful, I was just… being one of those people I hated. Using my position to benefit myself and not being productive. Which is a reflection more on the environment Palpatine created than anything else.”
> 
> “My lady?” Sabé knocked on the door frame before she entered the hall. “I’m very sorry to interrupt, but there’s a call coming from Naboo for you. It’s your sister’s frequency. Should I patch her through, or ask her to call later?”
> 
> Padmé paused, looking at Vader. “I don’t think I forgot anything, I can’t imagine why she’d be calling. Would it be alright if I did take the call now? Here?”

“Far from me to want that,” Vader said. “You know…telling me directly how you felt, would have been better than to stand there and be annoyed or bitter,” he pointed out. “If you don’t tell me, how you truly feel, how do you expect me to know?” Vader sighed, running a hand through his blonde curls.

“Of course you can, it might be serious,” Vader nodded and the call was patched through. 

“Neither of us exactly did very well at communicating what we wanted before,” Padmé pointed out as Sabé transferred the call. “But we’re moving past that, and I am telling you now. I’m sorry that it took so long for me to get there.”

The connection finished, and when Sola spoke, her voice was completely exhausted. “My little sister, you need to help me.” Vader raised his eyebrows at her desperation. “Darred and I need some time to ourselves. Truly. We do. We really, really do. Would you be the perfect Auntie that I know you are, and babysit the girls for two weeks?” 

> Sola’s request made all the blood drain out of Padmé’s face. “Two weeks? Sola, you know we have an entire galaxy depending on us, I don’t know how well we’d be able to take care of the girls with our combined obligations and duties.”
> 
> “Please, I’m begging you, they’re about to be on school break and we’re both so exhausted. I promise I’ll owe you big time, get you all the best presents for your next —”
> 
> “Whatever bribe you try to make, this one is going to think of it first and make sure I have it the soonest second possible,” Padmé warned dryly, nodding at her husband, which made Sola squeak a little as she turned to see him in the feed of the holo.
> 
> “Please, your majesty, I’m sorry to impose like this, but I wouldn’t be asking if it weren’t absolutely essential to my sanity, and that of my husband.”

Vader grinned at his sister-in-law. “We’ll take them,” he declared.

“Are you sure?” Sola said, delighted. “Because I am aware of both of your positions right now and how much work it will be. The girls are a handful.”

He chuckled. It could be fun. Distracting. Enlightening. “It won’t be a problem. We do have an army to help us. Padmé has her handmaidens, I have a Battalion,” he grinned. “After all, they’re family,” he turned to his wife with a big, boyish grin. “Your sister misses them very much, and I won’t mind having the house a bit more full.”

“Thank you, thank you so much! I’ll have Mom and Dad bring them by so they can visit too! I’m going to get them packed now, goodbye! Thank you again!”

> “Why isn’t she having Mom and Dad watch them,” Padmé whined as soon as the transmission ended. “And why did you have to say yes, the girls are going to terrorize everyone from the second they get here to the second they leave!” It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see the girls, but there would be other implications to having them around that she really didn’t feel ready to think about yet.

“Oh, now who’s the dramatic one?” Vader rolled his eyes. “My troops are trained to battle Rebels, Padmé, they will be able to handle a couple of children, it will be a nice change from the battlefield that they are used to,” he chuckled.

“This will be good. You can allow your parents and sister to rest and we can get a distraction from ruling the Galaxy seven standard days over seven standard days,” he stood up. “I’ll make arrangements for their rooms to be prepared and for someone to go – probably one of your handmaidens will be the best – and buy whatever we don’t have for them.”

Vader tilted his head. “Don’t look so grim, Padmé. It’s just your nieces.” 

> “Little girls make messes, ask questions, and get into as much trouble as humanly possible,” she answered, fidgeting with a ring she’d been given as a farewell gift when she had retired as Queen. “And I might love my nieces, but that doesn’t I’m blind to their capabilities. There’s a reason Sola and Darred want time off from them, being a parent is utterly exhausting. Besides, we have quite a few meetings scheduled for that time frame... Besides that... that woman from Zygerria, the Ambassador for Onderon will be visiting.”
> 
> She was deliberately trying to redirect the conversation away from anything child-related. “And then there’s just daily matters. Holding court, Senate sessions, council meetings…"

Vader knew what she was thinking. Why she was being so cold and so difficult about this. “I don’t mind and I will be happy to babysit them while you run the Galaxy, how’s that?” He said, a bit impatiently. “I’m not stupid. I know why you don’t want them here but…” Vader swallowed. “You can’t shut your family out. You can’t refuse to take care of your nieces because it will remind you of what we don’t have right now. They don’t understand that. They love you. It’s just two weeks Padmé. It’s not for the rest of our lives. Two weeks go by in a blur.”

> “Vader...” She sighed, shaking her head. “They’re children. They don’t know how terrible a place the world can be, or the kind of awful things people like Palpatine do. I just... I want to keep them innocent of it for a little longer.” She picked at her dinner in silence for a few minutes, a sour taste growing in her mouth. “They’re coming, and I’m not going to spoil their fun while they’re here, but I just...”
> 
> Padmé’s fingers began to tap nervously. She wasn’t sure he understood what was upsetting her. It wasn’t just that they didn’t have Cordé, it was that if she ever did get pregnant again, she was terrified of losing it again, either in another miscarriage... or to the deal he'd proposed so long ago. She assumed it was still in effect, and she didn’t know how to bring it up to him without making it seem like she was considering conceiving. Nor did she know how he’d react.

“What? Do you think we are going to take them to those awful meetings at Court? Or the Senate? No! We’ll provide them with the right distractions and the attention they need,” he pointed out. “I don’t want to scare them or traumatize them, I want them to be happy with us. To not be afraid of staying with their Aunt and Uncle and I want them to know this. We’ll be alright. They are coming and this is not putting pressure, or giving hints, this is about healing. Dealing with children…we can’t be afraid of that. We can’t hold back. I don’t want to. I want to know your nieces better. I want to be their Uncle,” _since I can’t be a Father._ “There’s nothing wrong with taking care of them.”

> She didn’t know how to refuse him when he asked so sweetly, so earnestly, so she just nodded quietly and resumed her meal. “You’re might want to set aside a room that you don’t mind getting destroyed, they like to jump on furniture. And I’ll try to get a head start on my work so that we don’t have to worry too much about that when the girls are here.” Her food finished, she pushed back her chair and stood. “Good night, my lord, I’ll see you in the morning.”


	21. Visitation

“You’re going to run away?”

Padmé looked up to see her husband standing in the doorway and blushed. “It’s not running away, it’s… Look, I love my nieces, but they’ve been spending most of their vacation just making me chase them around the palace, and I am exhausted.” She sighed, slumping a little on the couch. “Just… give me an hour or two to collect myself, please. You can keep the girls occupied that long, can’t you?”

> Vader sighed and crossed his arms above his chest. “Go. Do whatever you have to do. It’s incredible really. I’m the Sith Lord. I should be the one that wants to run in the other direction when hyperactive children are involved. But never mind that, I’ll watch over the girls,” he shrugs and turns to head to the room the girls were sharing.

“Thank you,” she called after him earnestly. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise!”

> Vader was able to hide his annoyance at his wife’s disappearance to collect herself, and told the girls that their Aunt had some affairs of the Empire to attend to. The girls insisted to binge watch Holo-Cartoons and Vader wasn’t able to tell them no. Eventually, he ended up laying on his stomach, with Ryoo and Pooja on top of him. They weren’t very heavy and he would find it funny that they would joke that they had “conquered the Emperor” and were now the “new rulers of the Galaxy”.

Having taken the hour to collect herself in one of the guest rooms, staring at the skyline of Coruscant before she went in search of Vader and her nieces, Padmé found them piled on top of him and one of the bed. “Girls!” she cried out in alarm. “Careful!”

“He said we could, Auntie Padmé!” Ryoo protested.

“Oh, you’re back,” he noticed. “They’re fine, Padmé, let them be,” Vader sighed.

“If you say so,” she sighed, sitting down beside the tangle of tiny limbs over the Sith Lord. “Just remember, you two, I’m reporting everything you do back to your mother and father. I’m fairly certain that trying to instate an Imperial coup is grounds for losing dessert.”

“Nooooo!” Ryoo shrieked.

“You can’t!” Pooja wailed, grabbing Vader by the shoulders. “Don’t let her do it, Uncle, please, please!”

Vader chuckled. “Not in a million years, girls, no one is taking our desserts away,” he chuckled, tickling little Pooja, making the girls fall backward as they dissolved into fits of giggles. “I’m the Emperor. I say we always have dessert,” he commanded in a funny voice, going for Ryoo next, and the older sister giggled madly.

> Padmé rolled her eyes, deciding not to get into an argument about positive reinforcement encouraging bad habits. In many ways, her husband was as much of a child as her nieces were, and he did not take kindly to being lectured.
> 
> “You all seem to forget I’m usually the one who orders dinner around here,” she warned playfully. “So, you better be nice to me.”
> 
> Pooja wasted no time in her Aunt’s tip. “Uncle Vader, why don’t you kiss Auntie Padmé? This way you’ll be nice to her and she won’t take our desserts away.” she said tugging on his sleeve, like she could get her Uncle to move closer.

Vader looked panic stricken for a few seconds, looking between his wife and adorable niece. “Come on, Uncle Vader, come on,” Pooja tugged on his sleeve harder.

“Kiss her,” Ryoo shouted, bouncing on the bed.

“Alright, girls, calm down,” Vader chuckled, to hide his nerves. “I’ll be nice to your Aunt. I promise,” he leaned forward and kissed Padmé’s lips gently.

“Boo, that wasn’t a real kiss,” Ryoo rolled her eyes.

> “It’s as real as the two of you are going to get, we are not your personal holodrama,” Padmé scolded, turning her head slightly away from Vader and trying not to think about the taste of his mouth on hers. When was the last time they’d shared anything like that? “
> 
> “But you’re married. Married people kiss, really kiss. Even Grandma and Grandpa—”
> 
> “I get the point,” Padmé interrupted, cutting her off. “I’m just tired right now, I can’t be bothered with silly things like that.”

“Why is it silly?” Pooja asked curiously. “I thought kissing was supposed to be nice, and special, and people did it when they were in love. People get married when they’re in love, too, and you’re married—”

“Just because people are married doesn’t mean they feel the need to kiss all the time,” the Empress scolded her sister’s children. “Particularly when one or two of those people might be very tired and very stressed, and not in the mood.”

“And boooooooring,” Ryoo huffed, settling down onto the pillows with a few more bounces. “Don’t let her ruin everything when you have kids, Uncle Vader, you’ll have to be the fun one.” Padmé sucked in a breath at her niece’s offhand, oblivious comment, her hand drifting to her stomach.

> Vader watched the exchanged, confused. Padmé was being rough on the children. Pooja was nine and Ryoo was twelve. They were just kids. On vacation. With their Uncle and Aunt. They shouldn’t be scolded just because they were asking for something so simple…a kiss. That’s all. They see their parents do it all the time. Their grandparents too. It was not asking for much. They weren’t to blame that their Aunt and their Uncle were so messed up.
> 
> (In part…or most of it…because of him.)
> 
> The last comment was a punch to the gut. He acted quickly. Not thinking too much because Ryoo had no idea of what happened and she didn’t mean to hurt them.
> 
> “Alright, girls, why don’t I take you to the hangar and show you my ship? Then we can come back for dinner,” he quickly helped the girls out of the bed, ushering them out of the room.
> 
> “Uncle Vader, when did Auntie Padmé get so mean?” Pooja frowned, hand clutching his own.
> 
> “Why is she mad at us?” Ryoo scowled.
> 
> Vader sighed. This was difficult and he never felt more guilty than now. “Aunt Padmé is tired, that’s all. She runs an Empire. She’s not mad at you, but since I make all of your wishes come true, she knows someone has to give you some rules,” he tried to chuckle, but it was a weak attempt.
> 
> “You run the Empire too, and you’re fun,” Pooja whined. “She used to be fun, now she looks like she doesn’t like children at all.”
> 
> “She loves you two,” Vader defended.
> 
> Ryoo just shrugged. Vader hoped he was able to distract them enough so they could forget this.

Padmé wasn’t certain what pained her more, the fact that she was treating the girls so terribly or the remind of what had happened to Cordé. It had been months… so long now… why did it still hurt so much?

She owed them an apology. That much she knew. But she also didn’t want to have to explain to them what it meant to lose a baby. They were so innocent of how awful the world could be, and she did not want their pity, however well-meant it might have been. Heading down to the kitchens, she told the cooks to make a veritable buffet of sweets for dessert that night, then headed to the garage in search of her husband and nieces.

“You’re not all covered in grease, are you?” she asked from the doorway. “I know how easy it is for you to get into tinkering once you set foot in here.”

> The girls were enjoying their time exploring his ship and then they asked him to show them more details. He gladly did it. It mean they were distracted. When Padmé appeared, it startled all of them. The girls were half-hidden behind him and were not showing signs off moving away.
> 
> “Uncle Vader is,” Pooja said in a whisper.
> 
> “Traitor,” Vader jokingly accused, wiping the grease on one of the rags he had. “I’ll get cleaned up for dinner. I supposed that’s what your Aunt is here for,” he smiled at them. “Go on with her. I’ll catch up,” he basically pushed them forward, and both of them threw him worried looks. “She doesn’t bite,” he whispered to them, with a wink. “Go.”
> 
> “Alright…but Artoo is coming too,” Pooja said, pointing at the astro droid. Artoo whistled and quickly joined them. “And Threepio!”
> 
> “I’m right here, Miss Pooja,” Threepio said.
> 
> “Good, good, now we can go,” she said, staring at her Aunt warily. Ryoo just stood quietly behind her sister.

“Come on, girls.” Padmé took her niece’s hands and led them to one of the smaller private dining rooms. “I’m sorry for how grumpy I’ve been since you got here. The Senate has been doing a lot of work, I haven’t gotten to sleep as much as I want to… None of that is your fault, and I shouldn’t have snapped at the two of you as I did. Will you please forgive me?”

The girls exchanged a silent glance before Pooja spoke. “What are you not telling us?”

Padmé stopped and sighed. “Both of you, sit down.” The girls obeyed, twin looks of confusion on their faces. “Look… I’m sure your parents and grandparents did their best to keep this from you, but about half a year ago, there were some bad people who did everything they could to hurt me and your uncle. And… to an extent, they succeeded. Those people are gone now, but your uncle and I are still healing from the damage they managed to do.”

Being the younger, Pooja was the first to fling her arms around her aunt’s waist in a hug. “We didn’t mean to make trouble, Auntie Padmé, we’re just trying to have fun.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I’ll see what I can do about adjourning tomorrow’s Senate meeting early, and we’ll find something fun to do. What do you say? Fresh start?”

Ryoo understood better than her sister. Her Mother had tried to protect them from the news running around Theed, but Ryoo had heard one thing or another. She hadn’t paid attention because she trusted her family would say something if it was serious. She still didn’t recognize her Aunt for the most part. She was more distant now; before she married Vader, she had been… different. She had expressed her fears to her Mother, who had dismissed them, saying that her Aunt just had a lot more on her plate now that she was married to the Emperor.

“Of course, Auntie Padmé,” Pooja jumped up and down, happy for getting a small explanation she still didn’t grasp completely. “Can we go to the market and shop for new dresses?”

“Is Uncle Vader coming too?” Ryoo asked. A lot of rumors said her Uncle to be a man completely different from what she knew. Ryoo learned to trust what she could see, not hear. Her Uncle was completely dedicated to spoiling her and her sister and sometimes he looked…sad and maybe a little lost too. Like he didn’t know how to be a child. Ryoo always loved how he tried to be their friend, their protector during the small time they managed to spend together.

“I think he’d like that very much. But you’ve never seen a Coruscant shopping center, it’s much fancier than any market in Naboo,” Padmé said, relieved that her apology had apparently been accepted. “We’ll ask him when he gets here, in the meantime… Threepio, will you see about getting dinner?”

“Oh.. oh, yes, my lady, at once.” As the droid hobbled off, Padmé took her own seat. “Did your uncle tell you that he made Threepio himself? He was a special wedding gift to me, and sometimes he still works on him.”

“Cool! Can he make us a droid?” Pooja asked, clambering back onto her seat. “I want  an astromech, but one that rolls around like a ball!”

“Don’t be silly, Pooja, it wouldn’t fit in any ship,” Ryoo scolded.

> “What wouldn’t fit in any ship?” Vader asked, as he caught the last thread of the conversation. He had cleaned the grease from his hands and changed his shirt. Taking his seat at the head of the table, Pooja bounced on his left side, given that Padmé was on his right.
> 
> “Pooja was an astromech that rolls around like a ball,” Ryoo pursed her lips.
> 
> “Ryoo says it won’t fit in a ship,” Pooja frowned. “It doesn’t have to be very big.”
> 
> Vader tilted his head. It could be a nice distraction. He hasn’t built a droid from scratch since Threepio but he could give it a go. “That’s an interesting idea, Pooja.”
> 
> “Will you do it?” Pooja squealed.
> 
> “Pooja,” Ryoo groaned. “Leave our Uncle alone, he already runs the Empire and you want him to make you a droid?”
> 
> Pooja looked crestfallen. “Oh.”
> 
> “I’ll think about it, but I won’t make any promises,” Vader interrupted.
> 
> It seemed to be a good answer, because Pooja brightened up. “Will you buy me a new outfit tomorrow? Auntie Padmé says we can go to the mall and that it’s very fancy! You will go with us, won’t you, Uncle Vader?”
> 
> “Shopping?” And he’s grimacing. Because two girls, one woman…he doesn’t know if he’s brave enough. “I…I…”
> 
> Then she was pouting. Widening her eyes. Bottom lip trembling.
> 
> “Fine, I’ll go,” he sighed, dropping his shoulders.

“You’re going to need a new toolkit and some supplies anyway if you’re going to be making an astromech in time for Pooja’s next birthday. That should give you enough time, right?”

“So what do I get for my next birthday? I’m going to be a teenager!” Ryoo asked indignantly as Threepio arrived with the main course of their dinner.

“Yes, and you’re going to get a very special talk from your parents about all the trials that come with being a teenager,” Padmé answered with a smirk. “Unless there’s something you want that you’re not telling us about?”

“I don’t want to go back to school,” her niece said immediately. “Can you get rid of that, Uncle Vader?”

“Tread carefully, dear, I don’t know you want to face my sister’s wrath on that,” Padmé warned with a laugh between bites of her dinner. “Sola can be far more terrifying than you might think. And Ryoo, we can look for something you’d like while we’re out shopping tomorrow.”

> Vader laughs, softly, fearfully of his sister-in-law’s rage if he ever came face to face with it. Her endearment comes almost naturally and he stops a little at it. Maybe she’s playing it for the girls. Maybe she didn’t notice what she said.
> 
> “School is very important, Ryoo,” he said. It was not a lie. While most kids, like his older niece, hated school, all Vader could remember was that he’d wanted to go to school. Even when he was a little boy, and his Mom would teach him what she could, she would tell him time and time again that if life was kind enough, he would have a proper education. With teachers, colleagues and regular studying habits. But life was anything but kind. At least to him. Even when he was taken by Sidious, he was taught by ruthless tutors. He never had friends. He never had study groups. Nothing. “It’s where you learn the greatest things and make friends. You should be grateful that you can go to school, Ryoo, many, many children don’t have that option. And they want to.”
> 
> Ryoo seems taken aback by his answer and the unusual brightness in his faded, yellow eyes. “You and Auntie Padmé are working on that, aren’t you?”
> 
> Vader nods, with a smile. “We are. Soon, every child will have the proper education they deserve.”
> 
> Taking care of the girls had done more to him than he cared to admit or was willing to share. Being around their innocence, answering to simple, yet puzzling questions. Having someone that trusted him to protect them, to just…love them, because that was natural. To love someone else. He was lost in his thoughts until he heard Pooja squeal.
> 
> “We are having ice cream for dessert!”
> 
> He laughed.

“The other half of my apology,” Padmé explained. “There’s quite a lot of cake coming too, your mother is going to kill me when you come back fat.”

“She’s been getting fat too,” Ryoo argued with a huff. “I don’t know why she gets to judge us for having sweets.”

Padmé raised an eyebrow, wondering if her sister was expecting a third child and if that was the real reason she’d asked Padmé and Vader to look after the girls for two weeks. It would explain quite a lot, considering…

“Auntie Padmé, if you keep your face like that, you’ll get wrinkles,” Pooja warned, in between stuffing her face with ice cream and an arrived platter of cakes, including Jogan fruit and Iego angel food, the latter of which Padmé took a piece for herself.

“It doesn’t matter whether or not I’ve got wrinkles, I’m already married and my husband thinks I’m beautiful no matter what. Not that anyone’s going to tell either of us that I don’t look attractive, your Uncle’s scary enough that no one would dare upset him by saying anything he might take as an insult to me.”

“That’s right, I’m the only one who can tell your Aunt she has wrinkles,” Vader nodded, also stuffing his face with one of the cakes, making both girls burst into fits of giggles. “Not that I do,” he smirked. “She’s scary in her own way.”

The girls snickered exchanging glances between the couple.

“Oh, shut up, I’m not the one who resorts to negotiations with a lightsaber when grumpy,” Padmé huffed.

“Aggressive negotiations, sweetheart,” Vader corrected with a grin. “Very effective.”

“Sounds more interesting than just making everyone go without dessert.”

“Pooja, you have ice cream on your forehead,” Padmé scolded her niece, and Pooja blushed before picking her napkin to clean her face. “Honestly, do you know where your mouth is? And, for the record, I do much worse than make everyone go without dessert. Ask your Uncle about what happened when I took over the Senate.”

“Ooh, tell us!” Ryoo said eagerly.

> “Well, do you girls know when your misbehaving in class and your teacher has to put you in line?” Vader asked and his nieces nodded. “Your Aunt was the teacher,” both girls gasped and turned to their Aunt. “She scolded the Senators and made sure they knew their seats were not forever.”

“Well, it doesn’t sound that exciting when you say it like that. The last time you looked that delighted to see me was when I was walking towards you was at our wedding,” Padmé pouted. “I instated term limits on the Senator, just like I did on the monarchy of Naboo—”

“Because popular rule is not democracy,” the girls chorused.

“Exactly. And since a good portion of the Senate realized they would have to be up for reelection and others knew they were on their way out, they actually started doing their jobs for once.”

“And all the Senators from now on are chosen by the people? So I could be one if I wanted?” Pooja asked.

“If the people want you, and that’s something you want.”

> After dessert was over, the girls were still energetic from all the sugar they consumed. They ran towards the room they had on the Palace and soon after, there was loud, teen music flooding the halls. Vader cringed.
> 
> “Your sister has truly raised some amazing young girls,” he chuckled, as he rose from the table. “I’ll be at my office. I’ve been with the girls all day, and I’ll take this time to go through some paperwork. When they crash…” he smirked. “I’ll come and say goodnight.”
> 
> Leaving for his office, he was finally alone. Peace and quiet. He poured a drink from a decanter and drank it all in one go, pouring another one. He rolled his head on his shoulders, feeling the pent-up tension in his muscles. He said he had paperwork, and he did, but he just sat on his desk, turned to the view of Coruscant.
> 
> It was good to have children in the Palace, but it came with the realization he would never have his own. Padmé had probably been right in her fears to accept the girls for the two short weeks, but he wouldn’t let her know this. Maybe it was for the best…he wasn’t….good enough to become a parent.
> 
> He would have failed Cordé. He did so just by trying to forcefully bring her to this world.

* * *

Padmé ended up enlisting Dara’s help to chase down the girls, she could not shake the feeling that there was something wrong, something more than her husband was letting on.  Unfortunately, this was neither the time nor the place, considering they had their hands full. When she finally caught up with the girls and Dara, they were in the garden, staring at the little patch of flowers native to Naboo that marked Cordé’s grave. “Why the funny spot, Auntie Padmé?” Pooja asked curiously as she bent down to get a closer look.

“I’m sorry, I know you don’t like people coming here, but they were ridiculously fast, even for me—”

“Dara, don’t worry about it, these things happen,” Padmé said, trying to reassure the young Togruta. “That… is a reminder, Pooja. Of the beautiful things that we must keep safe and treasure in difficult times. And how pain… no matter how it hurts… should not be completely forgotten.”

“I don’t get it.”

“I’ll explain when you’re older. Come inside, it’s late and you need to brush your teeth before bed.”

> Vader lost track of time. He finished two more glasses and didn’t do any work. He was brooding in his office, his mind going through all of the things at once. It was easy to find himself lost in the memories when it was quiet. That’s why he preferred to work, to fly, to be in the battlefield. More noise, more things to occupy his thoughts, more pressing issues.
> 
> Being alone just reminded him of that. That he was alone. He didn’t have anybody, not really.
> 
> He was startled out of his self-pity party, when there was a knock on his door. “What?” He coughed.
> 
> Dara opened the door and gave him a once over. “You’re a mess.”
> 
> Vader threw her a dirty look and Dara raised her hands in her defense. “I speak the truth and no, I’m not here to offend you. The girls crashed down from their sugar high. They fell asleep as soon as their head hit the pillows, but Pooja still whined you disappeared. I told her you had to work.”
> 
> He sighed. “Thanks. You can go ahead rest for the night.”
> 
> Hesitating by the door, Vader threw his apprentice an inquisitive stare. “Are you…alright?” Dara asked worriedly.
> 
> Vader rose to his feet, set the empty glass on the counter and grabbed his coat. “I’m perfect. Now, go to bed. Those two will be up bright and early and apparently we’re going shopping. That means you will come too.”
> 
> Groaning, his apprentice wished him a goodnight, sulking as she left. Vader followed her out of the office and headed for his chambers, but first he made a stop at the girls room. They were sleeping and it was quiet. He watched them a few minutes, before dropping his chin and moving towards his bedroom.
> 
> “Master Vader! Master Vader!” See-Threepio hobbled after him. “Oh, sir, I am sorry to disturb you, but I’m afraid Mistress Padmé rather needs your help, urgently.”

* * *

Padmé was, at the moment, trapped under the girls, as she’d been in the bed with them, expecting them to want to hear a bedtime story. However, their sugar crash had instead left her stuck beneath the two of them and unable to get out.

“Oooh, you two are getting fat,” she huffed, trying to at least get comfortable. Threepio had to be back soon with help, he had to be!

> Vader actually laughed when Threepio told him where exactly his wife was. The most odd thing is that he had looked inside the room and didn’t see her. He went back, and entered the room, approaching the big, king-sized bed.
> 
> “Let me help you,” he whispered, because he didn’t want to wake either of the girls.
> 
> Gently, he picked Pooja and cradled her in his chest, before adjusting the bed with the Force, and laying the girl down, on her side. Pooja sighed and snuggled into her pillow. Vader covered her and moved to her sister, doing the same with Ryoo. When both were on their respective spots, he helped his wife get out of the bed without disturbing them.
> 
> “There,” he gave her a weak smile. “Goodnight, Padmé,” he wished her and went to leave.

“Wait…” Padmé grabbed him by the wrist, stopping him from leaving. “I… you don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I could use company a little while longer. Tonight was… complicated. For both of us, I think. Please. Don’t leave.”

> Vader blinked at the contact. He felt an iron grip around his heart. He should let her go, but he was too selfish for that. Vader wanted to tell her that she was free to go with her nieces to Naboo. He was a mess when she had been away, but he would get over it. Yet, he dreaded that if he uttered those words, she would take his offer. Then…if that happened…what would be of him?
> 
> Living with memories. Alone with ghosts. Absorbed by the pain of the actions he has done over the years. Of the irreparable damage he has caused to this amazing woman in front of him…
> 
> His eyes stung and he swallows the lump in his throat. “I’m not…” he whispers and then takes a deep breath. “I’m not very good company.”

“Maybe, but you’re the only other person who knows exactly what I’m going through. What I… have gone through.” She gently pulled him to her rooms, to the windows that overlooked the garden, and carefully wrapped herself in his arms, forming a knot out of their limbs.

“They saw Cordé’s grave. I made excuses, of course, but…” she sighed. “It doesn’t really dull the ache. I wish that she could be here… Sometimes… I dream of what she might have been… a little girl, with your hair and my eyes… Her cousins should be doting on her, telling her that she’s so cute… and instead, they don’t even understand that she ever existed.”

> As she wrapped herself in his arms, Vader felt comfort leaking through that contact. It was a soothing balm. Until she started talking about Cordé. He closed his eyes and turned his face away, feeling hot tears dropping from his lashes. Ridiculous. He shouldn’t be having this behavior. It was weak, foolish. It was…
> 
> _Human_ , his Mother’s voice whispered in his ear.
> 
> Vader could picture the same little girl and to know they’d never know her….to know that he was the one to blame for that. That if she hadn’t been his, she would be allowed to live. That if he hadn’t submitted her Mother to his rash and hideous behavior…it’s killing him.
> 
> He began to pull away, uncomfortable by the overwhelming emotion.
> 
> “They’ll know one day,” he said, not facing her completely. “I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep, if that’s what you want.”

“You still blame yourself for Palpatine killing her, don’t you?” she asked. “He admitted to it all, you shouldn’t feel guilty for what he did, he was a monster! Look, the pain I feel… it’s not about that, not in that way. It’s… I don’t know, I suppose this is the first time I’ve really thought about what we lost beyond the actual moment when we lost her…”

Her shoulders shuddered as she leaned against him. “I think my sister might have sent the girls here because she’s pregnant again, and she wanted some time for her and Darred… and it pains me to know she’ll have that blessing for the third time, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do it again, but… I wanted that. So much… A family, a baby I could love… please… do stay, it’s what I need… I need to be held and…”

And loved.

> “Don’t you see that Palpatine did that because she was mine? Because he knew that I loved her? He did it to destroy me,” Vader snapped. “I think about her every day. It has been months and it keeps getting worse. I would have gladly given my life so she could have lived. Having an heir was not my whim, it was something that I wanted and I would have done everything for her.”
> 
> He sighs, trying to reign in his emotions as he wraps his arms around her tightly, like a child clinging to a lifeline. “If she is, then you need to be happy for her,” Vader mumbled into her hair. “I’m here,” he says simply. “I know it’s not what you wanted, but for whatever’s worse, I’m here.”

“It’s not your fault because you didn’t choose to be born as you were,” she argued softly. “Please, I’m begging you, stop blaming yourself for things you didn’t have control over. Sheev Palpatine was a twisted, evil man who delighted in causing you pain and forcing you to be someone you’re not. I know what you mean about giving your own life for hers because I feel it too…”

With a long sigh, she pulled them both onto the bed. “I am happy for her. But that doesn’t mean I can’t also be at least a little jealous.”

> Vader bit his tongue. Why argue with her? She would never understand the true depth of his guilt. Of his grief and despair. He lived alone in darkness. The dark side clung to him, tearing him apart the more he fought, and Force did he fight against the murderous, cruel instincts he had learned from Sidious. He vowed to be a different Emperor and he was trying. But the struggle became too much some days. He needed to get away, close himself in his office and try to regain some sort of control. He was suffering from the backlash of severing the ties with his Master permanently. Of not knowing what’s next.
> 
> It was so hard to focus sometimes…it got harder when he missed his bacta treatment for the brain damage he had due to Sith lightning. Vader had been very strict. The last few times he had missed them…well, he knew very well what had happened and he didn’t want a repeat.
> 
> “I don’t want you to be jealous. The chance of having a baby is not completely off the table. You are still fertile. You are still able to bring a child to this world. It’s the emotional part that is not ready. Maybe it never will be, but you can’t…you can’t wait for the world to just stop having children. There will be people around us pregnant. There will be babies and toddlers. We need to learn to live with it, as hard as it may be,” Vader said quietly, staring at the ceiling, and running his fingers through her locks. “The Galaxy won’t stop moving forward because of our loss. Believe me, Padmé, anger, jealousy and negativity will bring you nothing but sorrow.”

“When did you become the wise one of us?” she grumbled softly, hugging him close as she tried to get herself to relax as she stared out the window. With sleep evading her, she chose to employ an old trick from her childhood, keeping her eyes half-open as she counted backward from one hundred by threes. The technique worked, and she started drifting off.

> Vader laughed gently. “I was always wise, only very, very temperamental,” he replied sleepily. He remained silent, playing with her silky locks. It was a gift, to be able to touch her like this again. After the last time he tried to force their intimacy, Vader truly believed that they were done with any acts as simple as this on. Something had definitely changed in their dynamic. He had begun to understand her better. Her professional needs, her needs as a human being and as his wife. These had been aspects towards which he had been blinded for a very long time.
> 
> Eventually, he drifted to sleep as well, but kept his hold on her through the night, burying his face on the crook of her neck. Padmé worked as a soothing balm to his aching and tortured soul. If only she knew just how much he was damaged. Just how much Sidious had scarred him for the rest of his life. Only a miracle could save him.


	22. Speculation

Padmé’s dreams were blissfully absent; Seeing the child she’d lost would only be more salt in the wound after the day she’d had.

Unfortunately, the lack of any kind of dream meant that sleep felt a lot shorter when she found herself being jostled awake. “Aunt Padmé, come on! You promised we would go shopping, and you’re not even dressed!” Ryoo whined. “And we haven’t had breakfast yet!”

“I’m up, I’m up,” Padmé mumbled, pushing herself upright to look over her shoulder for her husband, where a bouncing nine-year-old had climbed the bed and started to poke him.

“Uncle Vader?” Pooja prompted. “Uncle Vaaaaaader.”

Groaning, he opened his eyes and found the girl hovering above him. “Good morning,” she said in a high-pitched voice that made him wince. “We have to go shopping, remember?”

“It’s all coming back to me squealing,” he teased sitting up. He noticed Ryoo had woken up Padmé and both girls were impatient. “Threepio,” he called out and the protocol droid moved forward. “Please take the girls for breakfast.”

“Certainly, Master Vader,” the protocol droid said. “Come along, Lady Ryoo and Lady Pooja. Let your Aunt and Uncle get dressed. Let’s go, follow me,” he prompted the girls.

Both of them followed Threepio out of the room, leaving the couple alone. Vader sighed and stretched his arms above his head, yawning. “How are you feeling?” He asked since last night had been hard on both of them, but he had experience with repressing his feelings, Padmé not so much. “Better today?”

“A little,” she said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and getting up to head for her wardrobe. “What about you?”

“I slept well, thank you, I feel rested,” Vader nodded.

Sifting through her clothes, she frowned. “Do we have to bring a clone escort with us? I’d think that would kill the mood a little, but I don’t want there to be any risk of danger. Even though the Rebel Alliance is no longer a substantial threat, there’s always the offhand chance of someone trying to hurt us.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. Dara and Rex will come with us, so between us, we’ll ensure everyone’s safety,” he explained.

Suddenly, the thought of spending time out in public with the girls seemed a lot less appealing to Padmé, but she still grabbed a simple blue silk sheath dress embroidered with white flowers and its matching cape. As she tied the white sash at her waist, she realized the draping created a slit in the skirt…. Well, no point in changing clothes when the girls were already waiting.

“If you would excuse me, I need to head to my bedroom to change,” he nodded slowly and left her chambers. At a fast-paced walk, he entered his own bedchambers and took a deep breath, leaning against the door. Vader refused to read too much into what happened.

They needed comfort. For one night, they didn’t want to be alone. For one moment, they wanted to believe they could fix something, repair something.

He threw his head back, against the door, and closed his eyes. _Let her go, let her go, let her go…_ the most selfless and romantic part of him yelled. _You’re not good enough._

However, Vader was a selfish creature and even if it was twisted, broken, stepped on, his relationship with Padmé kept him sane and he wasn’t about to give that up. Looking at the chrono on the night stand, he groaned. He really was running behind.

After he showered, Vader dressed in more casual clothes, switching the usual black shirt, for an electric blue one. _One time, long ago, my eyes were like that._ Shaking his head, he still placed the heavy, black robe on his shoulders.

Appearing on the dining hall, he was faced with a very angry child. “Uncle Vader, we were waiting for you,” Pooja whined. “You didn’t even eat and we are SO late.”

“I did eat,” he lied smoothly. His stomach was in knots, he didn’t want to eat anything. “I had a servant bring it to my room. If everyone’s ready, we can leave.”

“Liar,” Padmé muttered as they started to head out. Behind the girls’ backs, she pressed one of two breakfast cakes into his hand. “Eat it. I won’t have you losing your temper because you can’t tolerate a shopping center on an empty stomach.”

Hm, who knew she was starting to know him so well? Giving her an apologetic smile, he shoved the cake in his mouth. He shot his apprentice a warning glare and she just flashed him her canines.

Dara, who was walking between the girls, snickered over her shoulder at her master getting parented by his wife. Padmé shot the young Togruta a stern look before adjusting her cloak a little and biting into her own rather sparse breakfast.

“Preliminary security checks of the shopping plaza turned out clear, sir, just got confirmation from a few of my boys,” Rex informed them as he and Dara loaded the girls into the speeder before extending a hand to Padmé. “Milady?” She accepted the help, her leg accidentally exposed through the slit in her dress as she stepped into the speeder next to the girls. “You want to pilot, sir?” the clone asked Vader.

Vader almost choked on the cake he was chewing, watching the slit of her dress reveal itself and a good amount of her perfect, creamy skin. He coughed into his sleeve, face turning red. Somehow, he thought she did this on purpose.

The girls giggled madly, Dara shook her head and Rex just stood there, uncomfortable. “Y–Yes, Rex, I’ll pilot,” he said after clearing his throat, climbing into the pilot’s seat, Rex climbing to sit at his side. “Hold on girls,” he smiled and the girls grinned widely at him.

“Please go fast, Uncle Vader,” Ryoo squealed.

“Safety belts first,” Padmé scolded, strapping the girls into place. “Your uncle is a menace when he flies.” Both of them pouted but did as they were told.

“I heard that some shopping centers have fairs inside them, and rides and games,” Pooja babbled. “Can we go to that too after we finish shopping? And can we get ice cream?”

“We’ll see when we get there, girls.”

They arrived safely at the shopping center, and Vader threw his wife a smug look. As he helped Padmé out of the speeder, he gulped again as her skin was exposed. Rex helped the girls out and Pooja ran to take his hand. “Let’s go, let’s go. I want to pick the parts for my droid! I want him to be white. And orange.”

Vader raised his eyebrows. “We’ll see what we can get, Pooja,” he chuckled.

“But I want to look at dresses,” Ryoo complained.

“I want a droid,” Pooja stuck her tongue out.

“We have the whole day ahead of us, girls,” Vader said, soothing the tension. “Let’s ask your Aunt what do we do first, hm. What do you say, my lady?”

“Dresses are easier to carry,” Padmé pointed out, smoothing down her dress as if nothing had happened. “We’ll get you both what you want, just be patient. We don’t want to exhaust poor Captain Rex too quickly, do we?”

“Your concern is... appreciated, milady,” Rex mumbled awkwardly, and the girls giggled.

“You should buy something too, Captain,” Ryoo teased. “For Daaaaaraaaaa.”

“You are so gross.” Pooja interrupted, teasing her sister and sparing the clone from further torture as they headed towards one of the dress shops Padmé had used early in her career. “Why not just talk about your own boyfriend, Ryoo?”

“Miccael isn’t my boyfriend!”

“Girls, if you cannot behave, _I’m_ going to pick what we do,” Padmé warned.

For Vader and Rex, it was a really long morning. Vader was not someone who enjoyed shopping malls, but he made the sacrifice for his nieces. His wife seemed to be enjoying herself and it was a nice change from before. Vader took the time to observe her and notice little things he had ignored before. He knew she deeply adored her family, it was how he got her to marry him after all. By blackmailing her, threatening the lives of whom she loved.

As he saw Padmé interact with the girls, Vader thought quietly to himself. He had been responsible for stealing everything from her. A life that could be filled with happiness, a man she truly loved and the wedding of her dreams, followed by beautiful children. Instead, in his selfishness, he had roped her into a world of darkness, pain, and suffering and a part of him wondered if, in the end, after all the excuses had fallen through, it hadn’t been because he didn’t want to suffer alone…

He fell back, wondering what he could possibly do to make it better. Not that he thought it was possible, after everything. He stopped in his tracks as he realized there was only one thing that could truly make her happy. Vader let out a quiet breath, his heart tightening in his chest and his stomach dropping. _I have to let her go._

“Sir?” Rex wondered as the Emperor was left behind.

“Tell them…” his voice broke and he cleared his throat. “Tell them there was an emergency and I had to get back to the Palace. I will take a taxi speeder to the Palace.”

“You shouldn’t be alone, Sir, I’ll run ahead and warn the Empress and meet you outside.”

“No. You stay with them and that’s an order. I’m a big boy, Rex, I can handle myself.”

Rex looked unsure, but he wasn’t about to start a discussion with the Emperor. Reluctantly, he nodded. Vader clasped his back. “Good luck for the rest of the expedition.”

Rex scoffed and Vader turned and left.

* * *

 

At the Palace, the first thing he did was call two lawyers and ask them what a divorce would mean. The lawyers were shocked, of course, caught off guard. Vader insisted that they kept it to themselves and if it got out, he knew who to find and who to blame. Step by step they took him through the process, his mood worsening as he realized he was really considering it. Vader was going to do set Padmé free, even if it cost him his…everything.

After it was done, he dismissed them and asked the troops outside his office to be left alone. Pouring himself the strongest Corellian whiskey, he leaned back in his chair.

_A life without Padmé…_

His head started throbbing, painfully. As of late, Vader has been able to go longer and longer without a bacta treatment. However, it was still necessary, but he didn’t want it. Not now. The pain kept it real. It was all he had. His hands started trembling and his breath got irregular as he tried to control his emotions.

_If she leaves…if she accepts…then I’ll…_

Vader turned to see a holo picture of their wedding. Big smiles on their faces. Fake smiles. Fake love. Fake everything. His lips curled back in a sneer as he ripped the holo from his desk and threw it against the wall.

* * *

With Vader’s sudden abandonment of their group, Padmé and Rex had a much harder time wrangling the girls back to the speeder at the end of their excursion, and the Empress’ mood was not helped by the fact that Rex would not give her any explanation as to why Vader had so abruptly departed.

When they finally got back to the Palace, the girls were both exhausted, and Padmé passed them into Dormé and Sabé’s care before going to find Vader. “That was distinctly unchivalrous of you, I hope you realize. You might have told us where you were going—”

It was then that she noticed how his muscles seemed to be twitching. “If you left because you realized you needed your bacta treatments, you could have just told me. I would have understood. Without knowing what was happening, I was worried there was some kind of crisis.”

“I don’t need a bacta treatment,” Vader replied with a scowl. _My med-droid would strongly disagree._ “I realized there were a few treaties to proofread and a conference call with the Ambassador of Corellia I hadn’t reschedule. Then I had a meeting with the Banking Clan. Things I could not have missed,” he rose from his chair and turned his back on her, staring through the transparisteel, to Coruscant.

“Padmé…we need to talk, please sit down,” he asked, his tone softer. He has been spending the last few hours in an agonizing pain. For brief moments he tried to think that she would not take his offer, but reality was stronger. Why wouldn’t she? If he was in her place, he would be running to his home planet, far, far away from him as possible! “I had a meeting this afternoon and…”

Vader turned and got quiet. She was beautiful. Did he tell her that enough? Her features had hardened with time, and what she had passed during the time she has been his wife. It was sweet of her to remember that he needed his treatments. It was kind of her to worry. Could he live without her? Could he keep moving forward without seeing her every day?

“I…” the words were not coming out because…did he really want it? _No. Not in the slightest._ “I…” he began again. “I think we should both meet with the Banking Clan. We need to review the loans of some of the systems in the Middle-Rim, not to mention going over the economic state of Zygerria, so we are prepared for Scintel’s visit.”

_No, I can’t let her go. I need her. I need her more than I want to admit._

“Is that all?” Padmé frowned as she took the seat across from him. Somehow, she’d been expecting something _bigger_ than just talking with the Banking Clan. “Are you sure? I’d think that you’d get more done without me there, considering they’re still upset with me for the increased taxations I put on them in the Senate.”

Leaning forward, she placed her hand over his. “Can’t we save the business for a little later? Pooja managed to find all the droid parts she wanted, and she was begging me to get you to help. You were having so much fun with them yesterday, you looked—” she paused. “You looked happy. And it suited you.”

Vader’s eyes fell on her hand above his. _Happy…_ That word barely had any meaning to him anymore. “Think she’ll hate me if I postpone or droid plans for tomorrow?” He sighed and gently pulled his hands away, crossing them on his lap, underneath the desk. “I still have a few new regulations to read and approve, also there are a couple of private audiences requested and I would like to get them done tonight,” he explained as he pulled his datapad forward. “Also, I will make sure to read the bills you have given me so I can approve them or not — with your notes taken into consideration, of course.”

A part of him felt awful. Vader knew he was acting mercurial, but he couldn’t help it. He was still very in the dark on how to balance a healthy relationship (or what they are trying to shape into a healthy relationship) and being a good Emperor. “I’m sure they can be entertained with something.”

“Fine,” she grumbled, standing up and letting go of his hands. “But you have to join us tonight, we got that holo-vid of the four lovers who go to the forest planet and get all mixed up because the local deities are meddling with their affections. It’s supposed to be _very_ funny.”

For a moment, she paused, then leaned in and kissed his cheek very softly, quickly and chastely. “And don’t forget about dinner. You barely had breakfast after all.”

Vader nodded, caught by surprise at her actions. He wasn’t expecting the soft, chaste kiss on his cheek and certainly, he wasn’t expecting her to be worrying about his eating habits. After she had left his office, he raised to pick up the shattered holo with a sigh. He placed the broken device in his drawer and rubbed his temples as a sharp pain ran through his skull again, a forever reminder of the time he spent as Sidious’ apprentice. He knew he couldn’t be with his nieces and Padmé in this state. It made him mercurial, easy to anger. Dropping his shoulders, he knew he couldn’t go on without his treatment, so he summoned his emdee and requested it.

Later, around dinner time, he was feeling more like himself. There were no shaking muscles, shooting pains in his skull and certainly no mood swings, as he entered the dining hall, the first thing he saw was a pouting Pooja. “You didn’t build me the droid, Uncle Vader.”

He felt guilty, truly. “I’m sorry, Pooja, I couldn’t make it.”

Then she smiled. “It’s alright, Auntie Padmé said you could do it tomorrow?”

Vader felt a smile tug at his lips. “I will, I promise.”

Pooja grabbed his hand. “I want to sit next to you at the table, Uncle Vader, please?”

He nodded. “My side is all yours, little one.”

Padmé smiled at seeing him more like the man the girls seemed to think he was, the man she’d seen flashes of ever so briefly time and again. “We’re not having dessert here, by the way, I had Threepio set up a little spread for us in the girls’ room, so we can eat in there while we watch the holo. But remember, girls, we don’t tell your parents your uncle and I let you eat in bed.”

Ryoo pantomimed locking up her lips and throwing away the key, leading Pooja to lean forward and grab her plate. “Hey!”

“You can’t talk or eat, your mouth is locked!”

“Girls!” Padmé scolded. “Really, you’re better than this!”

Vader bit back a smile, amused at the young girl's’ antics. “A lot of what we let you do here at the Palace, during your vacation, is not to share with your parents at home, otherwise they won’t let you come back.”

Pooja gasped. “They wouldn’t!”

“As long as Pooja doesn’t run her mouth, we’re safe,” Ryoo grinned.

“Hey--that’s not fair!”

“It is so! You can’t keep a secret. You go and run to Mom and Dad so they can like you more.”

“No, I don’t,” Pooja’s face turned red. “You’re mean. I have to tell Mommy and Daddy when you’re mean.”

“I’m not mean, you are just whin—”

“That’s enough,” Vader interrupted them with a stern voice. Both girls turned to their Uncle. “If you keep fighting, there’s no dessert and no holo. You’re going straight to bed and that’s it,” he eyed them both equally. “You are sisters. You are supposed to be good to each other. Not mean. Ryoo, you’re the older sister, you need to set an example. Pooja, you need to understand your sister is older and sometimes, she needs more space, alright? It doesn’t mean she doesn’t like spending time with you. Alright?”

Pooja and Ryoo sat back on their chairs and nodded. Padmé’s eyes widened at the sight. She would have expected him to be a little more indulgent, not nearly this totalitarian. But she also hadn’t expected the girls to be this responsive.

 _Are you cheating?_ she thought, looking at him incredulously. _They have never behaved this quickly for anyone else, not even my parents._

Vader felt some sort of pride of being able to be assertive. He hated seeing them fighting. He caught his wife’s eyes and did a double take, raising his eyebrows. _What?_ He mouthed with a shrug as he turned to his plate and started his dinner.

Padmé could not help the giggle that escaped her lips at the sight of his face. When the girls saw it, they started laughing too and soon dinner had fallen into an easy, carefree rhythm before they all headed back to the girls’ bedroom for the holo. “Nightgowns on first,” Padmé told the girls before they could attack the decadent display of sweets that Threepio had assembled. “Quickly now.”

“Yes, Auntie Padmé.”

Vader watched them run to grab their clothes and frowned. “I didn’t know it was a slumber party,” he mumbled, half-uncomfortable. “Those are a lot of sweet things. Are we sure they are going to sleep tonight?” He laughed.

“Don’t worry about it, there’s a little something in there to help tire them out,” Padmé promised, whispering in case they were overheard. “It’s in the syrups I know they love. They’ll be sound asleep by the end of the holo.”

She touched his shoulder, kneading it slightly to work out the tension she could feel in it. “You don’t have to put on your nightwear, just relax a little. This is supposed to be fun.”

Vader sighed, feeling the pressure of her hands soothing the tense muscles on his back. “I need to ask for a massage down at the med-bay. It would help with the tension,” he said out loud. “I don’t mind, they’ll be happy if I participate. Although I don’t know if I agree with basically tricking them with sweets laced with  _something_ but I trust you know what you’re doing,” he stepped away from her touch. As good as it felt, he didn’t want to push his luck. He wanted her to keep rubbing his shoulders, to find those knots that form every day from ruling the Galaxy. This time, however, he had his feet firmly on the ground. Reality was not as nice as he would like. “I’ll be just a minute,” he said, leaving her and heading for his room. Quickly, he discarded his clothes and dressed into comfortable nightwear. Long, dark pants and a dark gray shirt.

Padmé rolled her eyes as he left her sight. The ‘little something’ was the colloquial name for the powder that was popular on Naboo, generally for helping babies get to sleep on nights when they were fussy. There was nothing harmful about it. Leaving Threepio with the girls, she headed to her own rooms because, despite what she had said, the blue silk dress was not really something she wanted to be wearing in bed with two sticky, sugar-loving girls.

Once she’d exchanged her day dress for a simple white nightgown with bell sleeves and a blue bodice, she returned to get the girls settled before Vader returned.

When he came back to the girls' room, he knocked. “I hope you didn’t start the holo without me.”

“No, we’re fine,” Padmé said, patting the one empty spot on the bed. Ryoo was on her left side, but Pooja had left some space on her aunt’s right for her uncle to fit in. “Come join us, we waited up for you.”

Vader took a quick glance at the bed. That was very close to Padmé. They haven’t been that close since before she left for three weeks to recover in Naboo. “Come on, Uncle Vader, we want to start the holo,” Pooja whined bouncing on the bed.

He gave her an apologetic smile and nodded, getting into bed, his arm brushing against Padmé’s. Involuntarily, he shivered and swallowed the lump in his throat. Ryoo started the holo and Pooja snuggled into his side wrapping her tiny arms around his own, a happy sigh escaping her lips and completely unaware that her Uncle was stiff as a board. He had been expecting the girls to sit between them, not the other way around.

Padmé pulled Ryoo a little closer as the holo played out in front of them, wrinkling her nose when the Gungans started coming on screen. Considering that she knew Gungans, that she worked with Gungans and considered them friends, they seemed somewhat tasteless in this story, like someone had thrown them in just to make the children giggle. Or at least, making her nieces giggle.

Pooja let out a little _‘oooh’_ at the sight of the first kiss between two of the human characters, and Padmé used the opportunity to sneak a yawn she’d been holding back for most of the evening. As she did, her head lolled against Vader’s shoulder ever so slightly.

The holo was nonsense and Vader’s face was in a permanent state of disbelief or pain. But the latter could be a few motives, like his wife’s closeness. When he felt her head on his shoulder, he nearly winced. He tried to focus on the holo, ignore the tingling running down his body and act normal, but it was difficult. One, he hated the holo they were watching (but there was nothing he could do about it, he was surrounded by three stubborn women); two, he was getting reacquainted with his wife’s favorite fragrance and there was a loose curl tickling his nose and three, Pooja keep moving and pushing him further into her Aunt.

He wanted to groan out loud. He wanted an excuse to retire himself, alone, to his chambers. With his heart racing, Vader closed his eyes for brief moments and tried to focus on meditation techniques. _No, not helping._

Pooja, unsurprisingly, was the first one to fall asleep, though Padmé was the next to go, rather than Ryoo, as might have been expected. Instead, she looked from her aunt to her sister, both slouched against her uncle and giggled. “I wish Mom and Dad could see this, you guys look really cute,” she whispered as she tucked herself under the covers properly. The holo was winding down with the characters all pairing up rather predictably, but none of them had really been paying attention to the holo for a while.

“Good night, Uncle Vader. Thanks for having fun with us today,” she mumbled as her own eyelids started to lower.

“You’re welcome, little one,” Vader whispered, touched by Ryoo’s thankfulness. “Sleep tight.”

He couldn’t move, stuck between his niece and his wife. By moving he was risking waking up everyone and he didn’t want it, not after the long and tiring day. Vader tried to get as comfortable as possible, even in the position he was at. He felt tired too, ready to sleep and as he found a proper position, he too fell asleep.

Vader was not aware for how long he slept, but he felt something tickling his nose and a comfortable weight on his chest. There was giggling around him and he frowned.

“They’re so cute,” Pooja gushed.

“Sssh! You’ll wake them up,” Ryoo scolded gently.

He stirred as he realized the familiar weight and the tickling on his nose. It’s Padmé. Suddenly, he was wide awake, looking down at the sleeping form of his wife. Carefully, he pulled back, ignoring Pooja’s disappointed sigh and Ryoo’s pout.

Padmé slowly reached up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she realized she must have fallen asleep on top of her husband. She blushed furiously as she looked up at him. “Hi,” she mumbled sheepishly.

“Kiiiiiiisss,” Pooja whispered without any real subtlety and Padmé’s blush deepened to crimson as she pushed herself off Vader.

“Um, good morning.”

Vader sat up and nodded. “Good morning,” he replied back softly.

“Where’s the good morning kiss?” Ryoo prompted. “Mom always complains when Dad doesn’t give her one,” she added and Pooja nodded.

“I have to brush my teeth first, your Aunt hates when I kiss her with morning breath,” he smiled at the girls, pushing the covers away and sliding from the bed. “Besides, instead of pleading for kisses, you should be getting ready. There’s a droid to be made and I don’t intend to do it alone.”

Pooja squealed and jumped from the bed, heading out into the hallway shouting for Sabé and Dormé.

“Ryoo, you’re helping too,” Vader said, raising his eyebrows at the older niece.

“If you insist,” Ryoo rolled her eyes with a smile and went after her sister, effectively leaving the couple alone.

“I’m sorry, I fell asleep,” Vader glanced at his wife. “I was going to slip away and leave you three be, but…” he shrugged, feeling stupidly awkward. “Next time, the girls stay in the middle and we stay on the edges.”

“Was it that unpleasant?” she asked, fidgeting awkwardly with her hair as she moved to sit on the other side of the bed, putting her feet on the ground. “I thought we had fun last night.”

Artoo rolled into the room, beeping and whistling indignantly. Padmé wasn’t sure whether she was grateful or annoyed for the distraction. “Artoo, we’re not _replacing_ you, don’t be ridiculous. The new droid is for the girls to take home with them.”

Unpleasant? She thought that was why he was being dismissive and awkward about it? Was she _blind_? Maybe the girls had fun, but it had been a long and tiring day for Vader. He spent a whole afternoon thinking about letting her go, then he lost his courage to do so because how could he live without her? How was he going to spend the rest of his days in solitude? He knew he was never going to want anyone else. Letting go of the single good thing in his life had been a stupid idea and for that he felt selfish, unworthy and all he was trying to do was protect her from him. Why did she had to go and make it sound like he had said something terrible?

“Yes, it was _that_ unpleasant,” he hissed sarcastically, turning on his heel and leaving, almost tripping on a very offended Artoo. “Come on, Artoo,” Vader snapped, already feeling bad for his reaction. But if she did not realize that that was the first time in the last few months where he had a full night worth of sleep, then she truly paid no attention at all.

The droid followed him beeping and whistling, complaining about betrayal and hurt feelings. Vader rolled his eyes. “We either make them a new one or they’ll take you as their new toy.”

Artoo beeped furiously and Vader smirked. “We’re not letting that happen, buddy, hence the new droid.”

Vader barely had time to dress. Pooja and Ryoo were knocking on his door, insistently, afraid he would change his mind like the previous afternoon. When he opened the door, they clung to him like extra limbs, chatting away on how their new droid should be. He proceeded to take them to his workshop. It was a room scattered with droid parts and circuits. The material they bought at the mall the previous day was already there, waiting to be used.

“Let’s get to work, girls,” he said.

It was a welcoming distraction. Whenever he tinkered with droids or even with his ship, he lost himself. He wasn’t Vader, the Emperor, the Sith, anymore. He was part of the circuits. He was safe.

Padmé sat on the bed, wincing at how he’d snapped at her. All she’d done was ask a question, why was he so on edge this morning? Since he was occupied with the girls, she opted to give herself some mindless busywork for the morning and dressed in a simple black gown overlaid with gold embroidery and headed down to the council chambers to work on the week’s Senate petitions and various correspondences.

The stacks of data pads were enough to keep her working through lunch, mostly because her mind kept wandering back to Vader. She’d heard the rumors on the HoloNet, the ones suggesting he _did_ have a mistress, despite whatever else he had told her.

Maybe that was why he’d disappeared so abruptly, why he’d gotten so cross and secretive. He was preparing to get rid of her, and the girls were making things awkward, so he was brushing it off by distracting _them_ with the new droid.

If he asked her to end their marriage, what would she say? A year ago, she would have told him, _yes, thank you, and you needn’t worry about giving me any compensation, just give me a day to pack._ Now, it felt more complicated. There was the matter of the Senate, for one thing, she couldn’t very well abandon all the work she’d done there. But moreover, there was _Vader_.

They’d both changed so much, and there was history between the two of them now, things that only they understood. If she severed that connection, there could be no mending it. But she wouldn’t be any better than him if she kept him trapped in a marriage he didn’t want, just for the sake of her comfort.

She kept thinking these things in an ugly, vicious cycle, all the way up to the moment when Threepio came to fetch her for dinner.

When Threepio came around to warn them about dinner, the girls were disappointed they hadn’t finished the droid. Vader had to reassure them that another day like that and it would be done. Which was true. The droid was well underway. He made them wash their hands, before they all left for the dining hall, the girls skipping ahead of him. They were nearing the entrance when they bumped into Padmé.

“Auntie Padmé, our droid is almost done!” Pooja said gleefully.

“Yeah and we helped a lot, didn’t we Uncle Vader?” Ryoo grinned.

Vader nodded. “They did. I’m very proud of their behavior today, they were really great.”

“You have to help us tomorrow, Auntie Padmé, so we can finish in time,” Pooja asked taking her Aunt’s hand.

“Yes! More help. Please, Aunt Padmé?” Ryoo joined her sister.

“I don’t know if I’d really be of that much use,” Padmé stammered nervously, looking at Vader. “Machines is really more your uncle’s area of expertise, and—”

“But it’ll be fun! And since you didn’t help today, you have to read us every bedtime story we want to tonight,” Pooja declared firmly. “I want to hear the story of Set and Veré!”

“Oooh, me too, I love that story,” Ryoo agreed. “Have you ever heard it, Uncle Vader? Aunt Padmé tells it better than anyone. Mom even has holos of her doing a play of it when she was eight! And she played _Set!_ ”

“Girls, really, your uncle doesn’t want to hear silly things like this,” Padmé scolded.

Vader smiled. “I wouldn’t mind hearing the story,” he shrugged. He hasn’t heard a bedtime story for sixteen years. “It sounds interesting and maybe one day Sola can show me those holos.”

The girls squealed in agreement.

“Also, we will love your help tomorrow. I can teach you a few things about  _machines_ ,” he chuckled. “They’re easier to understand than you think.”

“Fine, I’ll help, but you are _never_ seeing those holos,” Padmé warned. “Not even if we both live to be a hundred.”

“But you were so cute with your short hair, Auntie Padmé!” Pooja giggled. “And you sound so funny trying to talk like a boy!”

Padmé felt her cheeks burning up furiously at the implications. “I’m taking a trip to Naboo to get those things and make sure they’re wiped. Every single copy.”

“I think Grandma and Grandpa might still have the costume,” Ryoo whispered to Vader. “I’ll give it to you for a thousand credits.”

 _Short hair?_ Vader frowned. He wasn’t imagining his wife with short hair, not that it wouldn’t suit her, he was sure she could pull everything off, but...he stared at her perfect curls and he knew he prefered it like that. To run his fingers through them... _getting into dangerous territory there._

Vader looked at Ryoo, surprised. “You’re expensive, but I’ll take you on that deal,” he stage-whispered back. “Also, I’ll double it if you get me a copy of the holo.”

“I can hear you!” Padmé said indignantly.

“If you give _me_ a thousand credits, I’ll make sure he doesn’t get them,” Pooja offered, giving her aunt a smile that was far too sweet not to be hiding something.

“Nice try, little girl, but I do not trust you not to play both sides. No one is getting those holos, or that costume except me. And I don’t even know what it is the two of you would need a thousand credits for, you’re still practically babies.”

“ARE NOT!” the girls shouted in unison, tackling her to the ground. Padmé shrieked in protest, trying to wriggle free, but to no avail.

“Vader, help me!”

He was laughing before he heard her plea. Then he smirked and concentrated on the two little girls chasing her Aunt and effortlessly, they started to levitate. Shrieking, the girls waved their arms and legs in the air with no avail.

“Are you going to be good to your Aunt?” Vader asked as he kept a tight grip on them, using the Force. “Or do I have to levitate you higher?”

“Higher,” Pooja squealed in delight, trying to reach for the ceiling.

“Stars, no,” Ryoo screeched, eyes widening as she saw herself three feet up in the air.

Vader laughed. “What do you say, Padmé?”

“I say you can let them down if we wipe _all_ those deals from the record. No one is getting those holos of me or my costume.” Padmé declared, sitting up to brush off her dress before getting to her feet. “Is that clear, girls?”

“Yes, Aunt Padmé,” the girls chorused.

“Alright, you can let them down. Gently.”

Vader scoffed. “What? Like I would drop them?” For a moment, the girls were on free falling, screaming, before they stopped, still levitating. “I don’t think your sister would like me to transform her daughters into pancakes,” he chuckled and gently set the girls back on their feet.

“Master Vader, Mistress Padmé, please, dinner is getting cold,” Threepio scolded.

“We’re coming, Threepio, don’t get your circuits crossed,” Padmé retorted, grabbing the girls by their hands. “Well, come on, better not get him upset further. I don’t know if he can handle it.”

“Can we fly again after dinner?” Pooja asked Vader eagerly. “I wanna go all the way up to the ceiling!”

“Not me, please,” Ryoo said horrified. “I’m fine with my feet firmly on the ground.”

Vader chuckled. “I wouldn’t want you to throw up your dinner over everybody, Pooja, maybe another time,” he nodded. “And I don’t think your Aunt would want me to put you flying _that_ high above the ground.”

“Force, no!” Padmé confirmed vehemently. “What if something broke his concentration and you fell! You could die, and then your mother would kill both me and your uncle for letting it happen!”

“Obviously, I’m flattered at your Aunt’s trust in my connection with the Force,” Vader says dryly. “My concentration is not that easily distracted.”

“So you’ll do it?” Pooja asked jumping up and down.

“Er...no,” Vader denied as he pulled the chair for his wife to sit. “Let’s just have dinner,” he shrugged as he gave his wife a smile.

“Thank you,” Padmé said as she took her seat, waiting until everyone else had joined her before cutting into dinner. The girls started talking about the droid again, arguing over what to call it, and Padmé took the opportunity to steal another look at her husband.

He was keeping something from her, she knew he was, she just wished that she could figure out what. Otherwise, it was probably going to drive her crazy.

Vader was happy the girls became entertained during dinner, he caught his wife’s eye and for a moment, the hand that was set on the table moved towards her before he stopped himself. _She doesn’t want your touch._ He brought his hand to his lap and looked down at the food on his plate. Vader had vowed to give her space, to keep to himself and let her have her moment if it was what made her happy. Having her so near, but still so far away...it was hard. _At least she’s still here._ As long as he was a selfish creature, he would have to learn to live with his internal loneliness and enjoy the brief moments he could have with his wife.

“Done!” the girls chorused, snapping Padmé out of her ruminations.

“Oh. Oh, yes. You two go brush your teeth and get ready for bed, I’ll be in to tell your bedtime stories in a few minutes,” she instructed. “Threepio, keep an eye on them, will you?”

“Of course, Mistress Padmé. Come along, Miss Ryoo, Miss Pooja.” The girls rolled their eyes and followed the droid out, leaving Vader and Padmé alone.

“Are you alright?” she asked. “You seem better, but after this morning, I felt I should make sure.”

Vader knew he should apologize for that morning. It was a simple question and he overreacted. He was more upset with himself for making her feel like he had despised her company, than with her for bringing his awkwardness up. “I’m...I am better and this morning was just…” he doesn’t even know how to phrase it. “What if we talk about it after you read the bedtime story to the girls? And if you don’t mind...I would like to hear it. It has been...a long time since I’ve heard one.”

“It’s long,” she warned, heading for the door so she could change into her own nightgown. “But alright, if that’s what you want.”

She could have insisted that they talk at that moment, but it probably would not have helped things. Not with their tendency to argue, and not with the girls waiting.

Vader nodded, thankful she agreed to talk later. He was quick to change into his nightwear and show up to the girls’ room. “I hope I didn’t miss anything.”

“No, Uncle Vader, we were just waiting for you,” Ryoo grinned.

“This is the most beautiful love story ever!” Pooja gushed. “Auntie Padmé is the best storyteller,” then she paused. “Don’t tell Mommy.”

“Your mother already knows,” Padmé said smugly as she strode into the room with the old Futhork volume tucked under the sleeve of her robe. Sitting on one side of the girls, she gestured for Vader to join them as she turned to the opening.

“ _Once, when still the people of Naboo were without unity, there were two cities, on either side of a great forest, divided further by a mighty river. For many years, no one would cross the river, and distrust and hatred began to fester between the people who lived within the cities. That was until one day, when a young woman from the western city, Veré, ventured into the woods, seeking proof of a rumored mystical flower that could heal any wound, even the ache of a broken heart. But as the sun set, she lost her way, and, in the dark, she lost her balance, injuring her leg by the edge of the river._

_“It was in this state that she was found by Set, a man from the eastern city, and though all tradition dictated that they should be enemies, from the moment they laid eyes on one another, the gods had joined their hearts, and he crossed the river to aid her.”_

“Does it really work like that? Falling in love?”

“Pooja, shh!” Ryoo tried to hush her sister, but the nine year old was looking at their uncle too intently now.

“Is that how you fell in love with Auntie Padmé?”

Vader felt under the spotlight again, as all eyes fell on him at Pooja’s question. He opened and closed his mouth, thinking carefully about his answer. He still remembers the first time he saw Padmé Amidala, Senator of Naboo. It was when he accompanied Sidious to a Senate hearing. Immediately, she stole his attention. Her passion and her ability to captivate anyone with her words made the young Sith think about nothing else.

“Yes, Pooja, it was exactly like that,” he found himself replying to the delight of his youngest niece. “Now let’s allow your Aunt to continue with her story,” he cleared his throat.

Padmé swallowed awkwardly, avoiding Vader’s gaze as she found her place again. “ _As Set reached Veré’s side, he looked into her eyes and words abandoned him, for he had never seen anyone so beautiful before. Veré smiled kindly at him, and slowly he found his speech again, asking what she needed to help her wounds and following instructions as she gave them. Once her leg was properly bound, they spent the night within each other’s arms, learning about their lives, their secrets, their every desire, but they knew that when the dawn came, they would have to return to their own homes._

 _“Determined not to let this be the last time they saw each other, they devised a series of symbols that they could leave carved in the rocks and trees on either side of the river, not the language that was spoken and written throughout the galaxy, but their own unique script, indecipherable to all but them._ _And when the morning came, they parted ways with the promise to meet at sunset the next day._

_“So it went for many a month, but the people of their homes began to grow suspicious, and one night, Veré’s brother summoned a group of his friends, determined to follow his sister and learn where she disappeared to. When they saw her in the embrace of one they considered their enemy, they set upon the stranger, convinced that Set must have seduced and deceived her for some wicked purpose._

_“But Set would not fight, for fear that he would harm one dear to his beloved, and in her distress, she cried out to the gods that had brought them together to stop this madness, to let her be with Set without such pain, and they heard her plea. There came from the skies a great roar, not of thunder, but of longing, and where Set and Veré had stood, there was now only air. Looking around wildly, he saw the lovers standing not on the other side of the river, but_ **_on_ ** _the river itself, and his sister waved one last farewell before disappearing beneath the waters with Set._

_“Heartbroken by what his actions had wrought, the brother dedicated his life not only to learning his sister’s story, but to preserving its legacy, which is how our Futhork scripts came to be, for it means, in the most ancient of Naboo tongues, eternal. A fitting word for Set and Veré, for even now, eons later, there are stories of a young couple who may appear anywhere on Naboo, only ever for a moment and only ever described as agelessly beautiful and perfectly happy, for theirs is the deepest of loves, a love which crosses mountains, swims oceans, braves fire and wind, and endures against time itself.”_

As Padmé finished, she smiled to see that Pooja had cuddled up against her sister, a sleepy little grin on her face, and Ryoo’s eyelids were drooping. “Goodnight, girls,” she whispered, leaning over to kiss each of them on the forehead.

Vader had listened with rapid attention to his wife’s story. Her voice lulled him to a state of comfort and ease, as he found himself captivated by the lovers’ story and by the sound of his wife’s voice. As she finished, it was like a wake-up call. One more minute and he would have fallen asleep with Ryoo and Pooja. He tucked them in and waited outside for Padmé.

“It was an amazing story, Padmé. You really are a fantastic storyteller,” he complimented.

“You really think so?” she asked, blushing slightly as she fidgeted with her hair nervously. She usually wasn’t like this around him, what was _happening_ to her? “Well, I mean, like they told you, it was my favorite story as a child, so I sort of have it memorized.”

“It does sound like a story that would fit you,” he chuckled. “Are you sure I can’t see those holos?” He pleaded one more time. “I would love to see you portray this story.”

“I already told you no!” she say, shoving at him playfully. “It was terrible! I was eight, and I tried to do this horribly deep voice that didn’t suit me at all. No, no way, not even if you gave me every jewel in the galaxy!”

Vader laughed as she shoved him. “Alright, I’ll guess I’ll have to just stick to my imagination then,” he grinned. “I’m sorry,” he said after a small pause. “For this morning, I mean. I didn’t want to snap at you like that, or make you feel uncomfortable, I’m...I’m trying not to overstep your boundaries. I promised I would let you be and that’s what I’m trying to do to the best of my ability. It wasn’t unpleasant. It was the best night of sleep I had in a while. I was just afraid that I had, in any way, crossed a line,” the apology came in a soft voice. He had nothing to lose with the truth and it was better for her to know the reason of his actions than to remain thinking about something else.

“Oh. Well, you didn’t,” she told him just as softly. “Actually, it was my best sleep in a long time too. I liked having you next to me.” Would he take that the wrong way? Had she just made _him_ uncomfortable, crossed a line? “I mean, you didn’t do anything to hurt me. And you’re warm.”

_Kriff, Padmé, keep digging yourself further into the hole, why don’t you?_

He smiled warmly at her, a weight was lifted from his shoulders. “Anytime you feel cold, you know where I sleep,” he teased her gently. Hesitating for a moment, he leaned forward and kissed her cheek, his lips lingering for a moment. “Good night, Padmé.”

“Stay with me tonight?” she blurted, then immediately dropped her head in embarrassment. “It’s just… Well, I’m already a little cold.”

Vader thought for a moment. It was not a complicated decision. He would either go to bed alone and depressed, or he would have the pleasure of holding the most beautiful woman in his arms. “I wouldn’t want you to be cold,” he replied. “If it’s alright with you, I would love to.”

“Thank you.” Padmé kissed his cheek softly as they headed to her room, only to find that Artoo was trying to meddle with the heating. “Artoo, you need to power down and charge for the night, go on. Vader’s going to take care of me.”

Artoo beeped indignantly again about how he was being replaced and Padmé sighed. “Stop being so melodramatic.”

 _Going to take care of me,_ that was a responsibility that he didn’t know she was so willing to give him after everything. He wasn’t about to take it for granted and he would cherish her trust. Vader patted Artoo’s dome lovingly. “We promise we still love you, Artoo. The new droid will be leaving with the girls. You know you’re irreplaceable!”

Artoo beeped and whistled. Vader chuckled. “Yes, we don’t think you’re outdated. You need to recharge like Padmé said. We aren’t the only ones that the girls have been draining energy from,” he chuckled. “It’s alright, buddy.”

Happy with his owner’s reply, Artoo wheeled to his corner and powered down.

“Sometimes I’m surprised that he’s a _droid_ with all that neediness of his,” Vader commented. “And people say machines don’t have feelings,” he scoffed as he sat on his usual side of the bed and slid under the covers.

“I’m beginning to think we may be a bad influence on our droids,” Padmé agreed, brushing out her hair a few times before joining him in the bed. “It’s probably for the best that tomorrow’s the girls’ last day here, we won’t have the time to rub off on _their_ droid.”

Settling against the pillows, she turned into him, loosely wrapping one arm around his chest and leaning her head on his shoulder. “Good night,” she murmured.

He only adjusted his position when she laid down next to him. If she knew what her comfort meant to him…

Wrapping one arm around her waist, he paid attention to where his hand laid. He chose to place it on the curve of her waist, a little unsure at first, afraid she would reject him. When she didn’t, he smiled gently, kissing the top of her head. “Good night,” he wished softly and turned down the lights.


	23. Reignition

The last day with the girls was wonderfully idyllic. They spent the entire time in Vader’s workshop, putting together the new astromech as Threepio continuously brought them snacks throughout the day. Padmé kept hanging back to watch, afraid she’d disrupt Vader’s process.

He was a completely different man working on the machines, the only crease in his face being the one where his brow furrowed as he tinkered with the circuitry and metal, and even that would disappear when the girls would ask him a question about what he was doing. By the time the sun had set, they had the little round droid Pooja had wanted.

“He looks great,” Padmé remarked. “Not as good as Artoo though.” The older astromech beeped happily at the praise as his mistress lovingly tapped his dome.

“Yeah, he’s really great,” Pooja mumbled as she looked at her new, white and orange, round droid. 

“You don’t sound too happy about him,” Vader crouched down to stand at the girl’s height. “What’s wrong?” He looked from her, to her older sister. “Ryoo?” He asked noticing the older girl’s sad face.

“We have to leave tomorrow,” Pooja whispered.

“And we don’t want to leave, we’re having so much fun with you and Aunt Padmé,” Ryoo picked up where her sister left off and explained. “Can’t we stay for a few more days?”

“Or until school starts?” Pooja added. “Mommy and Daddy can have us for the rest of the year! We’re not asking for that much, are we?”

It put Vader on a delicate position. He had to admit that having Ryoo and Pooja around has livened up the Palace and they kept both him and Padmé occupied enough so they weren’t brooding in their corners, depressed and alone. Yes, having to say goodbye to them was going to be hard. Harder than what he expected. 

“Your parents miss you,” Vader stated. “I don’t think they will like if you stay more time with us. I’m sure they have the rest of your vacation planned out. Don’t you miss them?”

“We do, but we don’t see you and Aunt Padmé enough,” Ryoo protested. 

“We also miss Grandpa and Grandma, but...I don’t know, I like being here,” Pooja mumbled as she leaned into her Uncle’s side.

Vader sighed and threw his wife a look. _Help me out here, please?_

“Listen,” Padmé pulled her own stool closer to them. “We have a lot of work to do here, but we’ll make more time for you from now on. We’ll visit Naboo for the Festivals of Light and Glad Arrival, and maybe even for your birthdays, assuming the galaxy isn’t in a state of crisis. And we’ll comm you at least once a week.”

“Please let us stay, I could be a ‘pprentice, like Dara, but for you, Auntie Padmé,” Pooja begged, still unconvinced, and Padmé laughed kindly.

“You’ll learn more if you go home and register for the Legislative Youth program, sweetheart. Besides, if you stayed here, you couldn’t be Senator for Naboo.”

“Oh. Right. But—”

“And Ryoo, I believe you mentioned someone called Miccael? You wouldn’t get to see him if you stayed here.”

“Miccael’s not that special!” Ryoo protested. “Boys are dumb anyway.”

“You’re right, Ryoo, you don’t need boys,” Vader stated with a firm nod. “Also, I should get that Miccael checked out,” he mumbled to himself, making a mental note of speaking to Dara about it. “Your Aunt and I will keep our promises. It was...a difficult year, but it will get better from now on and we’ll see each other often,” he smiled, gathering both girls in his arms. “Until the next time we see you, there are a lot of tricks you can teach your new droid. We’ll miss you, we promise,” he chuckled. 

“I still don’t want to go home,” Pooja pouted. “You really promise to come and visit us?”

“You’ll get tired of us, I promise,” Vader nodded.

“We can come back and visit you, can’t we?” Ryoo asked. “Because I had a lot of fun and I want to come back. I’ll miss everyone!”

“Of course, you are always welcomed back. What if we got some dinner and then watch a holo movie of your choosing?” Vader proposed. Both girls nodded. “Go on. Take your new droid with you.”

The girls took off from the room and the brand new droid rolled off after them. “Artoo, why don’t you keep a watch on the youngsters?” Vader grinned and Artoo beeped in agreement and wheeled off. “I’m going to miss them,” he confessed quietly, now that they were alone.

“So will I,” she agreed, giving him a smile. “You’re really good with them. And it was nice to do something other than statecraft for a change. Maybe we should do it more often. Or even take a vacation, now that things are calming down a bit.” And considering the fact that Miraj Scintel’s visit was within a day of the girls’ departure, Padmé had the feeling she was going to need a vacation.

“I am as surprised as you are,” Vader said. “Who knew? Darth Vader has a way with the kids,” he sighed. “I’m happy to know that Sidious didn’t mess me up that much,” he muttered darkly. “A vacation would sound pretty good. After Miraj’s visit we have a couple of state affairs, but a vacation might not be that far away. Getting away from Coruscant’s would be a good idea.”

Then he offered her his hand. “Let’s spend one more evening with the girls before we get back to business as usual?”

“Alright,” she mumbled, taking his hand and trying not to let it show how deeply it irked her to hear him use the Zygerrian Queen’s first name. As if they were close. As if he cared about her. “Let’s go now, before they have that droid of theirs rolling all over the walls because they got bored waiting for us.”

Strangely though, when they got to the girls’ room, it turned out that each droid had a girl wrapped in its cables as they tried to wriggle free. “Uncle Vader, the evil droids are gonna take us away!” Pooja cried, trying very hard not to giggle. “You and Auntie Padmé gotta save us!”

Vader grinned at the scene. “Oh, no! Those meddling, cruel droids,” he dramatized as he grabbed Pooja from their new droid’s cables, the _baby_ droid letting her go pretty easily and then using the Force to lift Ryoo up in the air - she screeched a little bit, midst of laughter - and bring her to his side, freeing her from Artoo. “There, saved!” Then the two droids cornered him.

“Auntie Padmé, you’re our only hope,” Ryoo cried out dramatically.

“Yes, my Empress, how will you ever save us?” Vader joined the girls’ dramatic cries.

Padmé rolled her eyes, trying to hide her own smile as she found the blaster in her dress. Making certain it was fully powered down and her fingers were nowhere near the trigger, she aimed it at the droids, making noises like she’d fired it.

“You’re dead now, Artoo,” she warned. “You and your devious little apprentice.” Both droids turned on her, beeping and flashing their lights. The new droid even produced its arm, a little flame burning at the end and Padmé aimed the blaster again. “Come on, play the game properly.”

Artoo beeped and whistled, in a scolding manner. The new droid beeped in response and hid his metal arm, his dome coming down as he beeped sadly. 

“Victory,” Pooja squealed.

“You’re the best, Aunt Padmé,” Ryoo grinned as she ran towards her Aunt. “Do you always carry a blaster?”

“Oooh. That’s awesome, I want one when I’m older,” Pooja decided.

“It was a good fight, you two,” Vader praised the droids, patting their domes. “You’re very scary,” he teased with a grin.

Artoo beeped, offended because he recognized irony when he heard it.

“I’ve carried it since handmaiden training, and you should have training too if you’re going to get one,” Padmé answered, giving Ryoo a quick hug as she carefully returned the blaster to her dress. “And get some hand to hand training too. You should be able to protect yourself even if you don’t have a blaster.”

“We will, Aunt Padmé,” the girls promised.

“Goodness, here you all are,” Threepio wobbled inside the room. “Dinner is served and if we do not hurry…”

“...it will get cold and tasteless,” the girls chorused, much to Threepio’s frustration.

“I’m going to miss you, Threepio,” Ryoo laughed, patting Threepio’s arm gently and leaving the room, followed by her sister.

Threepio turned to his Master and Mistress, in silence. “Well?”

Vader raised his eyebrows. “We’re going,” he smirked as he mindlessly took Padmé’s hand. “I think he’s tired of babysitting us,” he whispered to Padmé. “I think he should power down for a day or two after the girls leave, give him some rest. An oil change maybe.”

“If you really want to apologize, send him to one of those droid spas,” Padmé suggested with an impish little smile as they followed the droid and the girls out of the workshop. 

“Let him come back completely clean and shiny. I think the girls dented him up quite a bit these last two weeks.”

“Mistress Padmé!” Threepio cried out in distress. “That is very cruel of you to say—”

“Oh, do you not want to go to the spa, then?”

“Well, now, I didn’t say that!”

After dinner, they helped the girls pack the rest of their clothes and toys, plus all the gifts that they have bought during their time in Coruscant. They went to sleep easily after that, with a simple holomovie. 

Vader didn’t want to just assume his wife wanted his company again. Everyone can have a moment of weakness and he didn’t want to just take it as a daily thing. So, after they left the girls room, he walked with Padmé until they’d reached her bedroom door.

“I should leave you to rest,” he said softly. “Tomorrow, after the girls leave, it’s back to work at full speed again,” he pointed out.

“Or you could rest with me,” she countered. “The last few nights have been more fulfilling than usual, the common factors suggest that we should keep doing what we’re doing. It’s not like we’re hurting each other by doing it.”

Her heartbeat picked up rapidly, terrified that she’d just overstepped, that she had pushed him further than he wanted. “Only if you want to, obviously.”

“I want it, of course I want, I want to,” he rushed, tripping over his words then blushing as he smiled. “I mean...you’re right. If the previous nights have told us anything is that...we sleep better together.”

What was it that was suddenly making them both act like school children? She hadn’t felt this nervous since she first attempted to talk to Palo Jemabie during training for the Legislative Youth Program. “Right. So. You can, um, you can go get ready for bed and I’ll do the same and then you can come back here?” she offered weakly. Ugh, had her voice always sounded that childish?

“I will, yes, hm...it’s like I have a room to get dressed and a room to sleep,” he tried to laugh but it was pathetic. It was a pathetic joke. _Force, I should be ashamed of myself.  
_ Clearing his throat he pointed in the direction of his bedroom. “I’ll be on my way now, and I’ll come back in five minutes, or longer, if you need more time to get ready, of course,” get a grip, Vader.

“Right, right, of course.” Padmé nodded so quickly that her hair smacked her in her face and she had to spit it out of her mouth. Idiot!

As she headed into her room, she saw that someone, probably Dormé had left the holonet on, playing one of the gossip channels.

_“— And have you seen that footage of them out with her nieces? Aren’t they just adorable? Such a tragedy, really, seeing them with those girls makes you think they’d be wonderful parents. Or at least right up until the Emperor suddenly left them all to disappear back to the palace.”_

_“So strange. I heard he’s actually been with his wife’s decoy.”_

_“No!”_

_“Well, it would make sense, don’t you think? Considering how alike they look, it would be a way to have what he wants without thinking about the trauma they’ve been through.”_

“Except for the fact that Sabé doesn’t sleep with men,” Padmé scoffed, turning the screen off as she finished changing out of her clothes and into her nightgown. “And she would never do that to me.” But the doubts about her husband were slowly creeping in again, even as she tried to stop them.

It took him no more than ten minutes to change his attire and get back to her bedroom. “You look concerned,” he noticed as he sat on his side. “Anything I can help with?”

“Nothing at all,” she lied as she started brushing out her hair. “I’m just thinking about how I’m going to miss the girls, and I’m tired. Dreading tomorrow and the return to monotony.”

“I know, I’ve been thinking the same. I guess we’ll just have to make the best of what we’re given. There is a lot of work to be done that has been put on hold. You can’t see it as monotony,” he laid in bed, arms crossed behind his head. “We’ll find a way to be entertained.”

_It’s how you’re entertained that worries me,_ Padmé thought, concentrating on keeping up her mental walls so that he couldn’t hear her. “I suppose you’re right. We did experience a lot of changes over the last few weeks.”

The way he’d phrased his words was sticking with her. _What we’re given._ He was _given_ opportunity on a daily basis to find comfort in another woman’s arms. The girls had kept him occupied lately, but with them gone, what would he do when the opportunity presented inevitably itself again? And why did she suddenly care so much? This wasn’t the same feeling as she’d had the last time it had crossed her mind, that had been more about not wanting to be humiliated. This was something she had no name for.

His wife had grown smart over the time they were together, and she protected her thoughts and feelings very well. Vader didn’t want to pry, so he didn’t try to dig any further into the subject. He knew something had caused her to be upset, and it was not just the girls leaving the next morning. Vader trusted that if it was something serious, she would come to him, sooner or later. 

“I think it’s because we are finally settling down on our new roles,” he shrugged. “From here until Miraj’s visit, time will fly by with the work that still needs to be done.”

_One day at a time,_ he thought to himself.

_Miraj. Do you have to use her name like that?_ Padmé couldn’t quite hide her scowl as she moved to join him in the bed. “Good night, Vader,” she muttered, burrowing beneath the covers and curling up in a fetal position next to him.

He nearly winced at the hate he suddenly felt from his wife. The Queen of Zygerria was probably the woman Padmé hated the most and who could forget the way she acted towards the Queen at the coronation?

“Good night, Padmé,” he said softly, and adjusted his position so she was tucked in his arms. _I wouldn’t want you to be cold..._ he smiled to himself.

In her sleep, Padmé snuggled close to him, but her brow remained furrowed, thoughts of Miraj Scintel and mistresses and changes still running through her head. By the time morning came, she’d shifted so much in her sleep that half of her body was on top of his.

When Vader woke up, he was careful not to move too much as to not wake her. She had spent the night restless, and only managed to drift to a calm sleep after she decided to use his body as a pillow. Carefully, he brought his lips to her forehead and placed a chaste kiss there, managing to slip from underneath her without moving her too much. It was still early, she didn’t have to wake up so soon after a bad night of sleep. 

Slipping from the bedroom, he peaked into his nieces’ one and smiled. Still adorably asleep. It hurt to think that after breakfast they would be gone and the Palace would be empty again. Vader asked the kitchens for a complete breakfast with everyone’s favorites and then headed to his room to shower and change. His clothes were more formal now, since after saying goodbye to the girls, it was back to business as usual. Deciding to see if Padmé had woken up already, he passed by her bedroom and knocked before coming in.

Padmé looked up from fastening the flower-shaped buckle on the pale pink off-the-shoulder dress she’d been changing into. Was it Threepio coming to fetch her? She was already a little out of sorts from having woken up alone. What had made Vader just up and leave, couldn’t he have at least woken her? She thought they’d been making progress, but apparently, she really had just been deluding herself.

Dormé stopped sorting through her mistress’ jewels to answer the door and dipped into a curtsy. “Sabé is with the girls, your majesty, is there anything you needed?” she asked formally.

“How nice for...Sabé,” Vader threw her an odd look. Why would he care about where Sabé went? “Though it’s not her I’m here for, obviously,” he passed Dormé and entered the bedroom. “Ready for breakfast?” He smiled. “I’ve asked the kitchens to make it memorable. We want our nieces to leave with good memories. Shall we?” Vader offered her his hand.

Well, that confirmed that if he was interested in anyone else, it wasn’t Sabé. “Of course,” Padmé mumbled, moving to meet him at the door and giving him a quick, formal kiss on the cheek. “So, after we pass the girls to the Senator and make sure they’re on their way home safely, it’s just back to business. And then the Queen arrives tomorrow.”

Rubbing at her white thumbnails, she sighed, heading towards the dining room to meet the girls without waiting for Vader to offer her his arm.

Vader tilted his head to the side in confusion. _What did I do now?_ He thought they were making some sort of progress, but apparently he was wrong. Throwing Dormé a lost look, he opened and closed his mouth. _Not worth it._

He jogged after her and as they were at the door of the dining room, he grabbed her elbow gently. “Did I do anything to offend you?” Vader asked.

“Nothing at all. Please let go,” she requested politely. “You go meet the girls, I’m going to check their room and make sure they didn’t leave anything behind by accident.”  
It was a weak excuse, Threepio would have done it already, but she needed a reason not to be around him at the moment. Vader hadn’t even bothered to explain why he’d left so early in the morning. She had the right to be annoyed, didn’t she?

“No, no,” he shook his head. “You’re telling me what got you so upset this morning. Threepio can take care of the girls things. I mean, I know you had a rough night of sleep. You were turning and tossing, kicked me a few times, but is this what lack of sleep does to you? Because I did let you sleep more this morning so you weren’t too tired for the rest of day.”

All Padmé’s arguments died in her throat. So he hadn’t snuck off as soon as she fell asleep. Unless he was just making excuses of his own. “It was just a bad dream,” she muttered guiltily. “I’m not actually sleep-deprived, I just— you could have explained it to me. I woke up alone, and I thought we had a deal that you’d then broken.”

“You were upset with me because I didn’t wake you up?” Vader questioned, confused. “I--I didn’t know...it would upset you. You were sleeping so soundly and I woke up earlier than usual. I thought I was doing a good thing, I’m sorry,” he shifted uncomfortably. He really had no clue about what was right or what was wrong in a decent, healthy relationship.

“It’s fine. We’ll just forget it ever happened, have a nice goodbye breakfast with the girls and go back to things being normal.”

Truth was, he didn’t know if he wanted their normal from before. “I don’t want to go back to how things were before, Padmé,” he confessed with a sigh. “If I’ve realized anything the past two weeks is how before was the _loneliest_ I’ve ever been and if we are to rule the Galaxy together, we should at least keep each other sane, right?” What was he even saying? He was crazy. “Or, you know, if you want business as usual just forget it like you said and let’s have breakfast before the girls hunt us down.”

“What?” He’d caught her so off guard that she hadn’t fully processed everything he’d just said. “I’m sane, I’m completely sane, why would you think I’m not sane?” she babbled, tugging nervously at her hair.

“I didn’t mean you weren’t--that was not the point--” he struggled to find the words. “Nevermind,” he was incredibly stupid. “Say goodbye to the girls. Go back to normal. That’s the right thing to do,” Vader turned and finally entered the dining room, before he said anything else that would be misunderstood.

“Finally!” Pooja squealed.

“We’re starving!” Ryoo dramatized.

“Good morning to you too,” Vader said as he took his seat at the head of the table.

Padmé stood dumbfoundedly in the doorway, trying to understand what had just happened. What had Vader meant by ‘keep each other sane’ if not how she’d taken it? What had he actually wanted to say?

“Aunt Padmé, you’re not a Gungan, close your mouth,” Ryoo said, mimicking both her mother and grandmother in a prim and proper tone.

“It’s rude to talk about the Gungans that way,” Padmé scolded, bringing herself back to reality as she took her seat at the table. “You know we wouldn’t have beat back the Trade Federation without them.”

“And the Jedi!” Pooja added, grabbing her knife and swinging it around like a lightsaber. “Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, knights of the—”

“Yes, Pooja, we know,” Padmé interrupted, not wanhing the little girl to accidentally irritate Vader somehow with talking about the Jedi. And not wanting to think about how both of those men were now dead. “Eat your breakfast, it’s a long trip back to Naboo.”

Meanwhile, Vader kept internally scolding himself. He said too much. He didn’t even phrase it right because it was not even keeping each other sane, it was about keeping _him_ sane and capable of doing this job. He looked between the girls and they were stuffing their faces, happy and laughing and he was just...going to miss all this noise. After they were gone it was back into their corners.

“Uncle Vader, Mommy say that when you frown like that you’ll get wrinkles,” Pooja tugged on his sleeve.

“Really?” He entertained her, trying to soften his expression. Pooja nodded. “Well, I’ll try it not to do it too often,” he smiled.

“You’ll have to cancel court sessions from now on, in that case,” Padmé quipped dryly as she spread butter across one of her breakfast cakes. “I’m surprised you haven’t destroyed every dummy in your training facility, you come out of them so frustrated.” Pooja giggled, but her sister looked more serious about the whole matter. 

“Are you going to miss us?” Ryoo asked looking from her Aunt to her Uncle.

“Of course we are,” Padmé said immediately. “We’ve had a lot of fun with the two of you here, and we did promise we’d see each other more, didn’t we? Don’t you trust us to keep that promise?”

“You’ll be too busy being the rulers of the Galaxy,” Ryoo pouted.

“No, we won’t,” Vader replied this time.

“But what if you do?” Pooja chimed in, suddenly in alignment with her sister’s more gloomy disposition, and Padmé found herself panicking, wracking her brain for some kind of answer that would satisfy them.

“Look, things have been complicated lately because we were dealing with transitions. Now that that’s slowing down, we’ll find more time for you. It happened when I was Queen of Naboo too. This just happens when a new ruler takes over from the older one.”

“But you had time to come visit us before! You were back for two weeks!” Ryoo argued.

“I know, but that was different,” Padmé stammered awkwardly. “That was for my health, I needed some time at home.”

“Why?” Pooja asked, and Padmé shot her husband a look that begged for help.

“Taking over a new role just like your Aunt and I did, it’s complicated sometimes to handle everything at once. Your Aunt felt homesick, so she decided to spend some time in Naboo and I insisted on it too. Don’t you feel better when you’re at home?” Vader questioned.

Pooja nodded. “We do, but I thought this was your home now, Aunt Padmé.”

“Pooja, when you’re older you will understand that even if we move away from home at times...home is where your heart is and we all know your Aunt loves Naboo the most. Why wouldn’t she? Naboo is amazing,” he smiled. “This is the last time I’m telling you that we will visit you more. You're family and family is the most important thing.”

When he saw that Ryoo was about to speak, he sighed and raised his hand, leading the girl to change her mind and purse her lips together. “We need to finish breakfast. We did promise your Mom you would be back by nightfall.”

“What’s your home then, Uncle Vader?” Pooja asked. “It’s Auntie Padmé, isn’t it?”

“Pooja!” Padmé felt her entire face burn bright red, and that managed to get Ryoo smiling again. “Don’t be silly.”

“What’s silly about it?”

“It’s because grown-ups think we can’t talk about grown-up things because we’re kids,” Ryoo whispered to her sister conspiratorially. “Like why Mom and Dad won’t tell us what those words the mechanics say mean.”

Vader felt his stomach drop at Pooja’s question. Kriff these girls and their questions. He was happy for Padmé replying instead of him because honestly, he didn’t knew the answer to that particular question. Where he was born was not his home. It could never be. It was the source of his worst nightmares. Coruscant...he didn’t know how to classify it. Not being able to identify his home made him lose all his appetite. 

“Just finish your breakfast, girls,” he said, clearing his throat.

He glanced at his wife. His heart? His home? It would explain his panic at the thought of her accepting his divorce agreement. It would explain his selfishness. But was that a burden he would want to put on her? _You’re my home, take pity on me and stay?_

“Will you come visit to fix our droid if he breaks?” Pooja asked, her lip quivering slightly and Padmé started worrying that Vader might have upset her more than she’d realized. Pooja was still so young, and Vader could be more than a little terrifying in the wrong circumstances. “Daddy’s terrible with droids, and then he says what the mechanics say.”

Vader was brought back from his thoughts with Pooja’s voice. He nodded. “I will, Pooja, don’t worry,” he assured the girl with a small smile. “I will go to Naboo and fix it, I promise.”

They finished breakfast and too soon, it was time to take the girls to the hangar, where they would board their ship back home. 

He felt saddened. These two weeks proved to him that it was hard letting go of the idea of having his own family. His own two troublemakers running around. Vader knew it was something he would always long for and it hurt to know that it wouldn’t be possibility for him. For them.

Again, he glanced at his wife. Deep inside he knew. _She’s my home. I don’t mind giving up children, sex, anything. As long as she stays with me._

Padmé kissed both her nieces on the cheeks, then on their foreheads. “You two be good for the Senator on the way home, tell your parents and Grandma and Grandpa I love them, and keep the droid under control, alright?”

Ryoo rolled her eyes but Pooja nodded as if she’d just been given a secret mission of the utmost importance. “We will.”

Vader crouched down to their height. “Time to go back to Naboo,” he smiled and Pooja surprised him by throwing her little arms around his neck. Vader hugged her gently. “I’m going to miss you too,” he laughed quietly.

“I love you, Uncle Vader,” she mumbled into his neck.

He was speechless. It was the first time he heard those words since he was nine and being so heartfelt, so genuine, it warmed his heart. “I love you too, little one,” he whispered back at her, emotionally.

“Hey, I want a hug too,” Ryoo complained as she threw her weight on top of her sister's, arms around her and their Uncle. “Promise me you’ll take us back. We weren’t that terrible.”

“I promise,” he laughed as their weight was suddenly too much for the position he was in and he fell back on his behind, making the girls fall on top of him laughing. “Now you have to leave before you seriously injure me and I leave your Aunt to handle the Empire by herself.”

“If that happened, it wouldn’t be an Empire for long,” Padmé joked, giving the girls one last hug as Senator Bokiana arrived with her retinue. “Be careful! I love you!”

“We love you too!” the girls yelled as the Senator’s handmaidens took them by the hand and started leading them to the Nubian yacht, their new droid rolling along with them. 

“Goodbye!”

Vader waved them goodbye as he got to his feet, beside his wife. The Nubian yacht departed and he was left with a feeling of emptiness. The hangar suddenly very quiet. _I love you, Uncle Vader._ He smiled. “Well I guess it’s just us again.” 

“So it would seem,” Padmé agreed softly, hiding her hands in the back of her billowing skirts so that he wouldn’t see how she was fidgeting with them. “I guess that means we should get back to work. We have a lot of lost time to make up for.”

Swallowing down the tangled knot of emotions that was rising inside her, she turned and started back inside.

“Padmé, wait,” he called, grabbing her elbow gently. “I...It was a difficult morning. I’m sorry for my rant before breakfast. What I wanted to say is that we are in this together and I don’t want to go back to business as usual,” Vader confessed. “If you still want me to keep you warm at night, I can move into your room?” He proposed.

“I-If that’s what you want,” she stammered, taken aback by the request. Why would he make this request if he had a mistress? Did this mean he didn’t have one, or he was just trying to throw her further off the scent. “I’ll tell Dormé to make some room for your things in the storage spaces around my suite.”

“It is and I promise that I won’t let you wake up alone again. I see it gets you in a bad mood,” he half-smiled. “I have to go, I do have a lot to do and catch up,” Vader hesitated but he finally kissed her cheek softly. “I’ll see you tonight. I don’t know if I’ll make it to dinner, but I won’t let you be cold during your sleep.”

“I understand,” Padmé said, giving him a small, formal nod. “I’ll see you this evening, then. Good luck with your work.”

“I’m not the only one who needs luck,” he winked at her before turning to leave the hangar. He had some very long meetings ahead of him, but at least, he had gained one step forward with Padmé. He hoped.


	24. Suspicion

“Is there someone else?”

Vader stopped, frozen at her question. Again, she was insinuating that he had a Mistress. It positively ticked him off. It had been more than a year since they had been intimate together, months since they tried, but nevertheless, he felt a connection to his wife in a way that he couldn’t be driven to break the vows he had made on their wedding day, as fake as that union had been at the time. Did he want to resume the intimacy they once shared? In a way, no. It was surprising to admit it, but, when he thought about it, the only times their intimacy had been done the right way, was during the honeymoon, away from Coruscant. After that...as much as the physical need and the pleasure was mutual, they were never able to connect emotionally. Last time he had suggested resuming intimacy, it had turned out horribly and he wasn’t willing to make that mistake again.

Padmé bringing up his ‘Mistress’ again, could only mean one thing...she had been reading those horrible and despicable HoloNews stories about their private life. Reporters seemed obsessed with driving a wedge between the royal couple. The Holonet would create the most ridiculous stories about his affairs. How he would have a Mistress staying at the Palace. Or how he would search for comfort and love with another woman. How he showed signs of loneliness since his marriage seemed ‘cold’ to the outside.

Not that Vader could lie and say he never thought about that. He had to be honest and admit that he, in fact, did consider getting a Mistress at one point. Many women paraded in front of him, flirting and batting their eyelashes, during court. Was he tempted? Yes. He was a man, and he was not made of stone. But...did he desire someone as he desired his wife? No. The hurtful thing was that...he was positively sure, Padmé did not feel the same.

As the Emperor and Empress of the Galaxy, their responsibilities and duties kept them busy, always running from one system to the other. Meet one Ambassador after another. Treaty after treaty. It had become regular to spend days without seeing each other and it was easy to just go to bed and sleep off the exhaustion. Ever since the girls had visited the Palace with them, the need of comfort, of company, drove them to share a bed. Padmé would use him as a human heater and he would hold her like a lifeline.

Knowing he had been staring at her for too long now, without an answer, Vader cleared his throat and sighed. “No, My Lady, there is not. Maybe you should stop listening to the gossip segment of the HoloNet,” he suggested, half offended.

“I just…” she sighed, shaking her head. “Never mind, you’re right, it’s idle gossip, but I heard them while I was traveling. And while the girls were here. And the sheer number of them is... worrying. As is the _detail_ some of them go into. Though I shouldn’t be surprised that some of your former paramours are looking to capitalize on the fame that comes from having bedded you.”

“If the Holonet can create the illusion of drama inside the Imperial family, they will. By believing those gossip segments and doubting my fidelity, you are justifying their stories and feeding them material for months of eternal torture about our marriage. If we keep this up, the Holonet will only be encouraged to dig further into our lives,” Vader scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. Her suspicions always brought a negative side of him to the surface. “Let them speak, Padmé. They were doing it before, when I was just Sidious’ right hand, but now that I’ve become the Emperor, the size of my…” he coughed, a light, pink blush coloring his cheeks. “...  _lightsaber_ appears to be more important than the new bill the Empire has accepted about giving poor families access to better healthcare,” he sighed. “Do you have any other questions to insult my vows or morals?”

“They weren’t meant to insult you, it just... stings. Would you like it if one of _my_ ex-boyfriends started boasting to the Holonet about exploits he’d had with me?” she asked quietly, “regardless of whether or not they were true?”

Padmé was an emotional creature, it was completely normal for her to be hurt if he had been cheating on her. So why did he felt butterflies in his stomach with the thought that she might care more than what he originally thought? “There are a few differences. One of your ex-boyfriends is dead, the others aren’t that stupid to cross me. Two, these women are telling true stories. Your boyfriends have no idea what it’s like to touch you,” Vader waved the subject off.

“That’s not the point, they could have—” Padmé stopped herself, shaking her head. “Oh, never mind.” There was no point in arguing over all of this. They both knew the only reason they abstained from that kind of contact as much as they did was because of her. Because she was unable to let go of the trauma she’d faced because of her kidnapping, too afraid to get pregnant after the loss of Cordé... Something that had only been emphasized, and then changed by Ryoo and Pooja’s visit. By sharing the same bed for the first time in months.

And she liked it. They both did. That was why they’d kept doing it, even after the girls left.

She chewed her lip, then frowned and went to reapply her makeup. Miraj Scintel would be arriving at any minute, after all.

Watching her go without saying more, Vader sighed. He hated that he couldn’t be a normal Sith. To not feel love, or pain or longing.  He longed for the love of his wife. He longed for a child. A family! He longed to feel something other than confusion, rejection or hatred. But was he creating an illusion while keeping up with this marriage? Even if he _had_ thought about letting her go, he was too selfish a creature to follow through. He had lost his nerve and courage, he needed her more than Padmé could ever be aware of. But, alas, he couldn’t be too concerned about this right now, the Zygerrian Queen was arriving at any moment and he needed to be prepared.

The doors to his office slid open and Rex stepped in, helmet under his arm. “Lord Vader, the Queen of Zygerria has arrived.”

“Thank you, Rex, I’ll be on my way to the Throne Room, please take her there. I’ll be expecting Her Majesty,” Vader informed, standing up.

As he sat in his rightful place on the throne, he looked to the side seeing Padmé’s still empty. Frowning, he heard steps and rose from his seat. Once the Queen entered, escorted by her entourage and Rex, Vader noticed with a grimace that she was wearing one of her most revealing outfits and on her lips, the predatory smile that always creeped him out. Still, he greeted her with a political smile of his own. “Your Majesty,” he said with a slight bow.

“Your Majesty,” she repeated with a small laugh. The sound scratched at his ears. “You look good on that throne, Emperor Vader,” as Miraj approached him, she reached out and kissed the corner of his lips. “Much better than Emperor Palpatine ever did,” she grinned, lust coming off of her through every pore.

Padmé arrived only moments after the Queen did, but it happened to be at exactly the wrong moment as she saw her kissing her husband.  The sight of it made her blood boil possessively as she ascended to the daïs into the smaller, more delicately wrought throne just below the one where her husband sat. The Queen’s yellow eyes locked with the Empress’s amber ones with equal dislike burning clearly between the two of them, and Scintel managed the most minimal of bows possible. “Lady Amidala,” she said saccharinely.

 _Bitch_ , Padmé thought, even as she smiled graciously. “ _Lady_ Scintel _._ A pleasure to have you in our home.”

“The pleasure will be all mine, I assure you.” The nerve of this woman! Padmé could practically see her undressing Vader with her eyes, the way her tongue ran over her pointed teeth. It was absolutely indecent! And it gave the Empress the urge to mark her territory, gripping her husband’s hand tightly before snaking up to link through his arm.

“Well, I’m sure you must be tired, perhaps we can have a droid show you to your guest suite so you can settle in?” she suggested coolly. “I can assure you, it’s a stunning set of rooms.” _And as far away from my husband as possible, I made sure of that while I was at it._

Vader wasn’t oblivious. He didn’t need to be a Force-sensitive to know the obvious displeasure the both women had for each other. Everything from their attitude’s, their tones of voice and to the way their bodies moved, screamed of hatred. He was surprised with Padmé’s possessiveness. He knew she never liked Miraj. As much as he wanted to give her actions a second intention, he couldn’t help but attribute them, to how she felt towards Miraj and it could also be a way to claim her title before the Queen, she was far above the one Miraj had. While Scintel had a system. Padmé had the entire Galaxy at her feet.

As he watched the interaction, he played smart by keeping quiet. Vader was, however, surprised to feel the physical contact of her fingers on his, the way her hand climbed his arm to link her own. Vader turned to the Queen, whose obvious lust for him, transpired through every pore. Miraj wouldn’t stand down or go down without a fight, she never did. They’ve met in several events Palpatine has hosted throughout the years and the Queen has always been very flirty and very  _sexual_ towards him. If his wife knew they almost…his eyes widened a bit, and he clicked his tongue. “We wanted you to be comfortable, of course,” he chided in.

The rooms were on the far side of the guest wing and Vader had an inkling of a feeling his wife had done it on purpose. _She cares. She cares that you only belong to her._ “But you will join us for dinner,” he added. It was only the polite thing to do. They  _were_ hosting her. They were going to sign a treaty in three days.

“Oh, I will be delighted, the kitchens of the Palace have always had the best dishes. Your Majesty, do you remember one of the dinner parties Emperor Palpatine has throw? Before you and Lady Amidala were wedded?” Miraj’s golden eyes sparkled and Vader internally groaned. This woman was on a mission to ruin his marriage, that he had to admit. “The wine provided us with the most alluring times.”

He was only able to grimace. The Queen had gotten him drunk to the point where he was susceptible… thank the Force for loyal troops, there to save his ass from her claws. Rex had never let him live that one down.

“Don’t expect anything nearly so rowdy, we’ve done away with more than a few of his late majesty’s traditions,” Padmé said, her grip tightening a little more on Vader’s arm. There was no way. They couldn’t have been lovers, even Vader had standards higher than this conniving little shrew, and if they  _had_ slept together, surely Scintel would not have let her prize slip away so easily. “After all, it seems rather... tasteless to cling too tightly to the past, don’t you think?”

“I couldn’t agree more. It makes absolutely no sense to keep around things that have proven they do not work the way you want them to,” Miraj replied snidely, looking directly at Vader, and Padmé fumed. She had known this would happen, she’d told Vader as much! The horrid woman wanted the throne Padmé currently occupied, and everything that went with it, including Vader!

The Sith felt the need to put some distance between the two women. _Fast_. The way Padmé’s grip tightened on his arm, her nails able to scratch his skin through the fabric, and Miraj’s provocative look, were bound to create problems and he had invited Miraj for a peaceful signature of a treaty between the Empire and Zygerria. He had the responsibility not to let it go to waste. “I don’t have a habit to keep around things that are of no interest to me,” he told Miraj with a small grin, making the other woman look at Padmé in disgust and envy.  “Nor am I a teenager anymore, your Majesty. My predecessor’s way of doing things was wrong.”

Gently, he pried his arm away from Padmé’s hold, and instead took her hand, intertwining their fingers. The anger, the _possessiveness,_ and the hatred coming from his petite wife were a complete surprise for him. It has been a long time since he had felt such strong, intense feelings from Padmé, and he wondered if they meant anything. “We will see each other at dinner, then, your majesty. At eight standard hours in the dining hall?”

Miraj bowed deeply at Vader. “Of course, your Majesty,” she said sweetly, her golden eyes eating him up. He shifted uncomfortably. “I’ll be on time, do not concern yourself. It has been a long time since I’ve been in your company, we have so much to talk about that I would never miss an opportunity like this,” she cooed as she rose. “So many things have happened to you, and I know what it’s like to want a comforting and supportive hand on your shoulder and not having it,” her tone was sympathetic, but when she turned to Padmé, her golden eyes were more knowing than what she should have been. “We give, and give from ourselves, and yet...people around us do not thank us. Or acknowledge our efforts. If needed they will only make us feel worse. Like we don’t do enough,” turning to Vader again, she smiled. “You have a loyal friend in me, your Majesty. I am but your humble servant,” she placed a hand on his bicep and squeezed lovingly.

Vader just  _knew_ he had to take Padmé out of the throne room before his wife launched them into a war by physically tackling the Queen. “Thank you, your Majesty, we’ll see you at dinner,” he managed a brief smile.

He almost dragged Padmé away, making sure they didn’t stop walking until they were inside their bedroom. After the doors swiftly closed behind him, he breathed a sigh of relief. “If you keep letting her get under your skin like that, Padmé, this is going to go very wrong, very soon.”

“Do I at least get to say I told you so?” she sulked, sitting on the bed and actually pouting up at him, though she did not let go of their clasped hands as she did so. “She took every opportunity to undermine me, and what’s more, I’m fairly certain things have already gone wrong. She’s clearly been spying on us, which means we have a traitor in our midst, and that she’s been planning this more than I realized. And don’t tell me I’m being paranoid!”

She fully intended to make that woman regret ever crossing her. She just needed a moment to gather her thoughts and figure out a plan to do it without sabotaging their treaties with Zygerria, or annoying Vader in the process. “I don’t care if she’s only here three days, every second she keeps insulting me is going to drive me mad.”

Vader shook his head at her sulking, directing much more of his attention to their still linked hands. “If there is a traitor, he will be discovered and punished as such. I will give Dara that pleasure, but you can’t let the Queen get under your skin, Padmé, that’s what she wants. She will take full advantage of these three days, I know the treaty is not what she truly wanted. Palpatine gave her free reign to do what she pleased with her system, I’m not him and I won’t tolerate some of her attitudes. She can’t defy me directly, she’s compensating by going after you.”

Finally letting go of his hand, she headed towards her wardrobe. “I need something different to wear to dinner, anything you might like to see me in? Or maybe something new?” If Scintel wanted to play the game of dressing like a member of Sidious’ harem, Padmé would respond by dressing as Vader’s Empress.

As she released his hand, he sighed at the loss of contact. Sitting down on the bed, he frowned in confusion at her questions. Something he would like to see her in? Padmé never once asked for his opinion on clothes, or anything really. It made him think about all the little differences he has been noticing with the Queen’s visit. Her possessiveness was something that aroused his curiosity over her true feelings for him. The way she wanted to stake a claim on him, the jealousy that Miraj sparked in her...it made him wonder if his wife cared more about him than she let on.

Their relationship was far from perfect. Far, _far_ from it. It had started the wrong way and it had become worse over the course of their marriage. There are a lot of things he regretted doing. The most important one of all, the night he mind-tricked her to sleep with him. The night they made Cordé. It was…awful, disgusting. He would never forgive himself for taking such a course of actions. Sometimes he thought that allowing Sidious to take Cordé away from them, was Force’s way of punishing him for his despicable behavior. He had wanted _everything_ and he ended up losing everything that truly mattered. It was only after the loss of his daughter, the kidnapping of his wife, that his scarred soul shifted, allowing the change he began to feel to become more real.

Realizing he has been lost in his own world, Vader stood up, rather awkwardly. “I am sure you can find a dress to please us both,” she always did. “I will leave you to get ready. I have some appointments with my advisers before, so we are able to finish the treaty and it’s ironclad. There cannot be a loophole in that document. I’ll see you at dinner.”

Leaving their chambers, he went to his office, lost in his thoughts. To dream thatPadmé could want to be his wife in _every_ sense of the word…it was a dream that he would not allow himself to have. Not again. He had to keep in mind that her attitudes lately had been for utter disgust and hatred for Miraj Scintel. Nothing else. He shouldn’t believe in any other illusions.

Vader’s indifference stung far more than Padmé had expected it to, and it made her realize that she’d… come to enjoy having his attention. Appreciate his compliments. Liked… being around him. “Oh… alright…” she said, trying to hide her disappointment. “I’ll… see you then.”

“You know he thinks you look beautiful no matter what, my lady,” Dormé interjected as she hurried over to help Padmé undress, once they were alone. “I’m sure he’ll like whatever you choose.” Padmé gave her friend a weak smile.

“That may be, but it’s not really the point of what I was going for,” she murmured to herself before sifting through the many dresses she had hanging in front of her. She _knew_ he thought her beautiful, he’d always told her as much, but… she wanted to hear it, directly from him. To have him be the one to close up the back of her dress, and feel his fingers on her skin… in her hair… She stopped, pressing a hand to the spot on her chest where she could feel her heart racing.

This wasn’t like her. At all. They were finally…. at peace. Calm, something close to normal. Why did she suddenly feel like that wasn’t enough when it had all but been a battle to get to this point? “This one.” She pulled out a deep red sleeveless dress, one that simultaneously had a high, conservative collar that went up to her collarbone and a plunging neckline that a sharp, thin _v_ of exposed skin that went all the way down to her waist. There was a matching slit up the left side of the skirt and countless tiny red jewels sparkling along her shoulders, and if it didn’t drive Vader absolutely crazy, nothing would.

Once Dormé and Sabé had helped her dress, they swept her hair up in a sleek knot, held in place by a circlet that resembled golden wings, and modified her makeup to subtly accentuate the red of the dress while playing up her own natural beauty, rather than relying on an overabundance of jewelry like the Zygerrian Queen did. “ _Perfect_ ,” Padmé whispered triumphantly as she headed to the dining hall to meet her husband and their guest.

When the time arrived for the three of them to have dinner, Vader was the first to arrive at the well-decorated dining hall. Everything was in impeccable condition, as to welcome the Queen to the Palace. Vader found that it gave Miraj too much importance, for his liking, but they needed to show themselves friendly and good hosts. It would set a future example for other representatives. Padmé had done a wonderful job at the preparations for receiving the Queen, even though she despised her.

He sat at the head of the table and waited for the women that would join him soon enough. The Queen followed him. Drowning in jewels, with a purple silk dress adorned with thousand of little stones of various colors. Her golden eyes sparkled at his sight. Oh, how he wished the three days were up already. Did she have to stay that long? Taking a deep breath, he steadied his nerves.

“Your Majesty, are we dining alone?” Miraj’s delighted grin and pointed teeth gave him chills. “It would be such a nice surprise to have some time to ourselves.”

“My wife, _the Empress_ , is joining us,” Vader pointed out, emphasizing Padmé’s title that the Queen kept conveniently forgetting. “She’s just running a little late,” he sipped on his wine. “How did you like your quarters?”

“Well, a woman can always hope to have some private time with the Emperor. Especially, when he is a man such as yourself,” she batted her eyelashes and Vader hid his grimace behind the rim of his glass. “Oh, they are wonderful. Thank you for being such a good host, your Majesty,” she laid a hand on top of his, and Vader raised one eyebrow at the gesture. “I can’t wait to sign this treaty. It will make us…official friends.”

Fortunately, his wife entered, stealing his breath, his attention, his everything away from Miraj. Her dress has been the perfect choice for the occasion at hand and Vader did love seeing her in red. It brought up such a natural, sensual beauty in her. Vader stood, releasing his hand from Miraj’s hold, and took his wife’s hand instead, taking it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles softly. “My Lady, you are stunning,” he complimented and pulled her chair for her. “Please, we were waiting for you to start.”

“I’m terribly sorry for my tardiness, My Lord,” she replied, smiling at him sweetly and accepting the kiss to her hand with a great deal of satisfaction, especially as she saw the indignation on Scintel’s face.

 _It was well worth the wait._ The skin the dress showed, it only fueled his deep and eternal desire for her. He might have made a promise to himself not to touch her again, but when she dressed like that, it made it impossible for him to think about anything else but how good it felt to touch her. It had been too long, his body was a traitor. Vader wanted to turn around and tell Miraj that dinner was canceled because he would rather be spending the time showing his wife what he couldn’t put into words.

As Padmé sat, she reached up shyly into her hair to find the one loose curl Dormé always managed to leave and pulled it free without disturbing the rest of her coif. Fingering it innocently, she looked over at Vader and raised her own glass.

“A toast, if I might be so bold?” she offered. “Here’s to the peace and prosperity of the galaxy. May these treaties bring our people every happiness possible.”

Padmé was taking the job of proving to be better than Miraj Scintel to a whole new level. In his mind, there was no competition. Miraj had a long, _long_ way to go to reach his wife’s ankles, but he said nothing in the moment and just raised his glass, his light yellow eyes fixed on his beautiful, jealous wife. “Please, my Lady,” he allowed. It was childish to say he felt like laughing at the scene. Both women together made sparks fly and Vader did not want to imagine if they were to be left alone. “To peace,” he declared finally, taking a sip of his wine.

Padmé did not close her eyes as she drank, watching Miraj’s reaction. The Queen seemed to grimace slightly as she took a drink of her own, then turned her attention back to Padmé’s husband.

“To the effect of what we were discussing earlier, your Majesty, I would _love_ to return the favor and host you at some point in Zygerria. I’m sure it gets quite dull, being here all the time, nothing but work and duty. It would be my honor as your friend, to have you in my home.”

 _And in your bed, I’ve no doubt,_ Padmé thought, forcing her face to stay calm as their dinner arrived and she started eating.

“Oh, I am sure we will love to visit Zygerria sometime soon. However, the Empress and I do have a lot of business to attend before we can make any social calls. The changes we are trying to implement on the Galaxy are not being easy on every economy and society, so we need to oversee everything we do closely with our representatives and advisors,” Vader spoke, pretending not to notice how it was heavily implied that the Queen wanted to entertain _him_ in her private quarters. “An Emperor’s life is never dull, your Majesty. My position keeps me on my toes. I never know what is the next thing that will be brought to my attention or what my people are going to lay on me. I don’t mind the duties that I carry, your Highness,” Vader said as he thanked one of the aides who placed his plate in front of him.

“Work, work, work,” Miraj sighed dramatically, flicking her wrist from left to right. “You need to let out some of that stress you have been building up on your shoulders. A man like you has **needs** that he cannot be denied. If you can’t find who satisfies you on Coruscant, my Lord,” her golden eyes went to Padmé’s, as a challenge. “I will be more than happy to **_satisfy_ ** them on Zygerria. I have more than the appropriate… skills to do so.”

Vader chewed his food slowly bile rising in his throat at the thought. He would rather be celibate for the rest of his life. “That’s very kind of you,” he cleared his throat and took a sip of his wine, a grimace on his lips.

Padmé’s eyes flashed dangerously. Scintel was pushing far too much for her liking and she wanted so badly to slap the woman across the face for her audacity. But she would not allow herself to break in front of this disgusting, depraved slaver. Especially not with Vader watching, watching her and she could feel the pride he was trying to suppress. He’d had the same kind of reaction when she’d first taken over the Senate. And felt a thrill of satisfaction at knowing she was causing that reaction again.

Then the idea came to her. A way to remind Miraj Scintel just who she was dealing with. “Speaking of skills,” she said, knowing full well the subject she was about to bring up had nothing to do with skills really, “I thought you might be interested in hearing about some of our latest outreach programs since we’re hoping to be able to expand them under the new treaties.”

“I try to make it a point not to link my politics too closely with personal affairs,” Miraj said, clearly trying to deflect, but Padmé was ready for that.

“My dear _friend_ , I might have been elected and then wedded into a throne, rather than born to it as you were, but even I know that politics is always a personal affair when one rules,” Padmé said rather savagely. “Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that, given the reforms for welfare we recently launched, I was thinking that our next step would be to sponsor better education for the children of the galaxy, as well as homes for children who may not have families to look after them. After all, well educated and cared for children grow up into intelligent adults who can make a far greater contribution to their homes.”

“I doubt my people will be interested in having their taxes raised so that orphan skugs can benefit.” The utter cruelty and dismissiveness of the Queen’s attitude were, sadly, not all that shocking. “But I think it’s utterly precious how you still cling to the ways of your… _simple_ little home, Amidala.” It was the attack on Naboo that made Padmé wince. To insult her was one thing, but her home, her people? That was completely uncalled for.

Vader set his glass down roughly, sending some of the wine spilling to the table. “Your Highness, I will advise you to hold your tongue when speaking of other systems,” he said icily, making Miraj eye him warily. “Naboo is in a more prosperous position than Zygerria at the moment since you well know that their economy and government were able to remain steady throughout the many crises around them. Not to mention that their Queen has one of the best reputations in this Galaxy, far different than yours,” he emphasized. Scintel looked like a wounded animal. “She doesn’t need slaves, she doesn’t see the orphans as a burden or education as a waste. All of these ideas have made for a prosperous planet and one of the most intelligent people you will meet, present company included, so I suggest you respect her and me as well.”

Miraj glowered at Padmé. Vader cleared his throat, redirecting the attention towards him. “So you see, your Highness, as your Emperor and Empress, we are giving you a chance to improve your planet and your people. Education and health systems are deteriorating and the number of deaths in Zygerria is increasing at an alarming rate. Mostly because you still link slavery to your methods of ruling,” he hissed, that part of the conversation a tad more personal for him.

“I did not mean to offend you, your Majesty,” Miraj replied in a soft-spoken tone. “I deeply apologize for it. My intentions were not to insult anyone. I am simply stating that my people are poor. They cannot pay for more taxes. Creating new schools and improving our health system will be expensive. I can’t take anything else from my subjects.”

Vader grabbed his glass again and took a sip. This was one of the most stressful dinners to date. “If money is the problem, we’ll meet with the representative of the Banking Clan. He will be able to come up with a solution, I’m sure. This treaty is the beginning of a new era in Zygerria and we’ll do what we can to help you, but you have to be willing to receive this help.”

“Thank you, your Majesty,” Miraj smiled, placing her hand above Vader’s and squeezing. “Thank you, for your kindness. I truly admire your methods. Oh, you will have to let me repay you some way,” her hand traveled up his arm, to grip his bicep. “I will love it if you allow me to show you just how much I appreciate you.” Under the table, Padmé dug her fork into the back of her hand and made herself smile through the pain, concentrating on that rather than the urge to tear off Scintel’s arm.

“Zygerria is part of this Galaxy and as its Emperor, it is my duty to watch over it. I will do what I can to help those who can’t help themselves,” Vader stated. “There’s no need to pay me back. In _any_ way.”

The Queen batted her eyelashes suggestively, completely ignoring the fact that his _wife_ stood a few meters away from them. “Even so, my Lord, if there is anything you can think of…something for this Galaxy or for you…you know where my rooms are.”

 _And you know where the door is_ , Padmé thought viciously. “I did hear the wait with the Banking Clan is down. With all the extra income generated from Kamino’s increased taxation, the entire economy of the galaxy has been stabilizing, and we’ve managed to ease off them a little. Not that it matters, of course. They know to take the projects we bring to them very seriously,” she interjected, refusing to let the conversation continue further into seduction.

With her dinner finished, she pushed her seat back and extended her left leg through the slit of her skirt to stand. Vader glanced at her with a lustful look, but pushed it down and focused on the empty glass in front of him, wondering why was it not full? “I think I might be retiring early this evening, my lord, I had a training regime scheduled for early tomorrow morning, and I’d like to be well-rested for it.” Vader looked up to wish her a goodnight, when she leaned in so that her head was at an angle directly between him and Miraj, and pressed a kiss firmly on his lips, making a very clear statement with such a gesture. She then turned to the Zygerrian Queen, smiling sweetly. “You’re welcome to join me, if you wish. It’s a very enriching experience.” Vader stood, lips puckered and eyes wide as he processed what had happened. This was one step further than innocent snuggling and he didn’t know what to quite made of it..

“I’ll consider it,” Miraj replied coldly. “Though I don’t understand why you’d feel the need for such things. Do you not trust your husband and his forces to keep you safe?”

“Considering the number of people who want to do me harm, and the ones who have succeeded in doing me harm, I don’t believe I can be too careful,” Padmé answered, refusing to let the implied insult prick her, all innocence and charm. “Of course I trust my husband and the men he entrusts with my safety, but he’s never had any objection to me continuing my training in blasters and hand to hand combat. Simply as a last line of defense.”

Regaining his composure, Vader cleared his throat. “The training that the Empress is receiving is not only at her insistence but at my own. It makes me more relaxed to know she’s able to defend herself if I’m not nearby. Maybe you could join her, your Highness, see for yourself,” he explained.

As Padmé left and he was alone with Miraj, Vader stood. “Dinner was…insightful,” he forced a smile on his lips.

Miraj stood as well. “I agree, my Lord. Would you be so kind as to show me to my quarters? This Palace is so big, I easily get lost,” she laughed lightly.

Vader wanted to tell her no. _Go, get lost and sleep in some corner._ **You’re the Emperor,** he reminded himself. **Be a good host.** “Certainly, your highness, it won’t be a problem.”

As they headed out of the dining hall and he took her down the hallway that would lead her to her quarters – they really were very far from his own – he felt her link her arm through his. Groaning internally, it took everything in him to not shake it off.

Of course, because the Force seemed to be against him today, one of Padmé’s handmaidens passed by them and Miraj was very loud in her good night wishes to the woman that turned to glare at him. **Force, why me?**

“Your wife is quite feisty, isn’t she?” Miraj asked as the handmaiden was already behind them. Vader was already imagining what sort of things Padmé was thinking at the moment.

“I prefer the term strong personality,” Vader replied.

“If I may be so bold…”

“No, you may _not_ and I will advise you to watch your words when speaking about my wife,” Vader clenched his jaw, annoyed. “Do you want to tell me anything else? Useful... this time.”

Miraj sighed. “My Lord… you have become the most powerful man in the Galaxy. I believe that you are in need of someone at your side that treated you better and cherished the man you are,” he felt his blood begin to boil. “I am not fooled by forceful displays of affection. If that kiss she gave you was something of a regular occurrence, you wouldn’t have looked like a bantha caught by surprise. People talk, my lord, and they say you and your wife only recently started to share a room? Not for the practice of royal heirs, I’ve heard. It’s no shame to admit you are no longer a couple. The Galaxy would stand behind you. Let your wife go back to her niche in Na--”

“Your Highness, that is _enough_ ,” Vader snapped, releasing her arm with brusque force and staring down at her with piercing yellow eyes. “You went too far tonight. I am trying very hard to be a good host, a good ruler, but I have my limits, your Highness and remember that you are here to be on _my_ good graces and to sign a peace treaty,” he towered over her and the Queen had the decency to look a little frightened. “Please be aware that if you direct one more rude comment towards _my_ wife or _my_ marriage, I will forget about any pleasantries. You have two options if you go against me: death or war. I suggest you take the third hidden option and sign the damn piece of flimsy. Goodnight.”

He stormed back towards his room, leaving the Queen in the middle of the hallway. Force, his head was exploding. As he entered the bedroom and the doors slid close, he removed his robe and threw it haphazardly on the ground.  

Padmé had finished taking down her hair and was just undoing the back of her dress when he stormed in, and the slam of the door made her let go and jump, causing the bodice to fall. Instinct and modesty made her snap her arms over her chest for coverage until she realized it was Vader. “It’s not the door or the robes's fault that Miraj Scintel finds you and the throne you come with attractive,” she scolded as she finished undressing and changed into one of her thicker, warmer nightgowns. “Don’t take your frustrations out on it.”

Vader stared at her for a moment, watching her movements slowly. Sharing a room with her could be a blessing as much as it could be a curse. “I need a shower,” he mumbled, heading straight into the fresher. _A cold, cold one._

Pulling aside the covers, Padmé slipped into bed, and started watching a message that Sola and Darred had sent on her datapad. Apparently, the girls were begging to come back to Coruscant for their next school break, they were _very_ eager to spend more time with their aunt and uncle. It ended up making Padmé’s heart ache a little. She knew Vader would be delighted to have Ryoo and Pooja visit again, and she wanted them here too… but it didn’t make it hurt any less to know that children of their own were not going to happen.

She knew why, of course. Both of them were silently terrified of intimacy again, for very different reasons, all of which were completely valid and awful to think about, but… over the months, she’d found they mattered less and less. He kept showing more and more evidence of being a good man, beneath the harsh exterior of the Sith Apprentice Palpatine had made of him. And that man, the one who’d doted on her nieces, who held her quietly in his arms every night now… She could almost see herself having a family with that man… But she knew he wouldn’t bring that up to her. Not after losing Cordé. Not after the last time they’d tried such things, and she had panicked and suffered memories of her kidnapping…

Maybe it was going to be up to her to show him that they could actually have that kind of intimacy now, that she was ready… Setting aside the datapad, she settled back against the pillows and waited for him to get out of the fresher.

Vader stood under the freezing water for a some very long minutes. He groaned quietly and leaned his forehead against the wall in front of him, closing his eyes. If he could, he would move up the contract signature for the following evening just so Miraj Scintel could be gone and they could get back to their usual life.

Not that anything exciting was happening. They worked all day, shared meals when they could find the time and then slept through the night, exhausted from their day. Vader will admit that ever since Sidious died, he has been feeling better, lighter. It’s not all because of his wife, but it’s also because that negative darkness that Sidious provided him with, was gone, fortunately, and it made him able to thing with much more clarity and with more than hatred on his mind.

He wasn’t a good man. Far from it. He didn’t claim that he would become part of the Light side, no. But…the prophecy that Sidious always talked…it was about the Chosen One. The balance of the Force. Maybe he wasn’t supposed to be dark or light. Maybe he needed to be able to wield both equally.

His teeth started chattering and he closed the water. Stepping out, he dried himself with a towel, before dressing his grey pajama pants and a white shirt, that clung to his muscular torso in a way that he knew got Padmé looking. As he towel dried his hair, he looked into the mirror and narrowed his eyes.

Usually, the bright yellow of the Sith would stare back at him, but it had been slowly fading. He could see…blue rings around the yellow, showing him a part of who he was that he has denied for over sixteen years. As he blinked, the blue color seemed to fade, but it was there, he knew it was there.

Coming back into the bedroom, he joined his wife on the bed, pulling the covers aside and sliding inside. As he relaxed his head against the pillow, he took a deep breath.”I don’t think she’ll join you tomorrow,” he mumbled, eyes closed. “The Queen is much too proud for that and she doesn’t agree with such training methods,” sighing, he turned around, his back to her. If he considered snuggling right now, Padmé would find that some parts of him, weren’t all that ready to sleep. “She’ll be gone in two days, let’s think positive. Good night.”

She frowned at the rather dismissive attitude, then brushed a few of the damper strands of his hair away from his face before placing an arm gently around his shoulders and pressing a soft kiss to his head. “Good night,” she replied quietly, settling in next to him and drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 With training early in the morning, she awoke before he did, but was slightly pleased to find that they had reverted to their usual sleeping positions, with his entire frame wrapped around hers like a vine. Carefully, she disentangled herself from his arms and went to change into a sensible brown tunic and pants for training, putting her hair into a simple braid so that it was out of the way before heading down to the training yards.

Sabé was waiting for her, blasters in hand. “Are you ready?”

“Skip the blasters, I want to go straight to hand to hand this morning.” Padmé told her bluntly, and her former decoy frowned.

“Milady, did anything happen last night?”

“Absolutely _nothing_ ,” Padmé growled, throwing the first punch, only for Sabé to block it. The two of them started moving across the training area, trading blows with speed that was almost blinding. For a while, there was no sound from either of them, just the sound of one body striking another and the occasional grunt of exertion.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Sabé asked tentatively as she caught one of Padmé's fists. The Empress scowled, wrenching her hand free.

“No.”

“Milady—”

“I said no.”

“Padmé, I’m your friend as well as your handmaiden, please, just talk to me.”

“Fine.” Padmé dropped down, kicking at her friend’s ankles only for Sabé to use it as an opportunity for a tuck and roll. “I— I think I want to start being intimate with my husband again. But with everything that’s happened up until now, I don’t know how receptive he’ll be to it.”

“Well…” Sabé managed to get to her feet just in time for Padmé to block her next punch and leave the both of them trying to knock each other backwards. “That’s certainly reasonable to assume that would be the case, but have you actually asked him?”

“Of course not, we’ve been busy dealing with that horrible woman from Zygerria! But I was giving him very clear signs—”

“Considering what happened last time, he may need you to tell him outright.”

“Tell him outright?  He’ll only think I was doing it because of Scintel!” The sound of footsteps made Padmé stop and take a few steps back, turning to see who was the source.


	25. Frustration

Waking up to a cold and empty bed made Vader frown in displeasure. He had come to enjoy waking up, holding his wife, apart from the multiple times he’d had to leave the bed earlier because her ass pressed against his groin wasn’t doing him any good. Then it clicked that Padmé had a training session and whenever that happened, she was always up first.

He touched the place on his head where she kissed him goodnight and sighed. Vader knew he had been dismissive the previous night, but the fact that she just clung to his back made his heart race. Even if he had learned that hoping for something good to happen in his life was useless, he still dared to hold on to a little shred of light that told him they would be fine. Happy. Together.

Leaving the comfort of the bed, he decided that perhaps he could join her today. He needed the contact. Needed to be with her. Dressed in a casual pair of black pants and boots, and a simple white undershirt, he left their bedroom, towards the training area.

Knowing that he shouldn’t eavesdrop, but unable to resist, he lowered his pace as he heard voices floating down the hall. He was only able to listen to the last sentence.

_“Tell him outright?  He’ll only think I was doing it because of Scintel!”_

“Tell me what?” Vader asked innocently as he stopped in the entrance, the two women training session coming to an end right away.

“My lord!” Padmé squeaked, her cheeks flaming scarlet at her husband’s arrival. Clearly, he hadn’t heard much, or else he wouldn’t have bothered to ask what she was talking about, but that didn’t lessen the embarrassment.

“Your Majesty,” Sabé bowed and Vader could see a smirk pulling at the handmaiden’s lips.

“Sabé, good morning,” he acknowledged her with a nod towards her direction, but his light golden eyes were fixed on his mesmerizing wife. Even with the thin sheet of sweat from her training, her hair braided behind her back and with clothes that brought out the beautiful color of her eyes, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on. How could she be worried about Scintel? “Could you leave us? I will continue the training,” he added.

Sabé was quick to nod. “Of course, yes, I’ll be on my way.” Bowing, she turned to Padmé with a knowing smile. “Milady.”

As she rushed past Vader, he took her place on the mat, in front of Padmé. He raised his hands in a defensive stance. He would never lift a finger against her again, not even in a training session such as this one. “Hit me with your best shot and… tell me what?”

Making a mental note to give her handmaiden a stern talking to after all this, Padmé carefully redistributed her weight and took a solid stance, then spun and made a kick right for his hands. “Nothing you need to worry about.” It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell him, but she wasn’t prepared to do it on such short notice, she needed to plan things out and make sure he wouldn’t take things the wrong way.

Her foot knocked against his palm, but since it was bare, it did very little in the ways of damage, and she took the opportunity to look straight at him. Which proved a mistake, because the shirt he was wearing left very little to the imagination, and now she could only think about it getting soaked with sweat…

“Let’s go, your Majesty,” Vader rolled his eyes, a teasing smirk pulling at her lips. “You need to do better than that,” he chuckled.

He didn’t miss the way a crimson blush rose to her cheeks or the way she seemed to get nervous as they were left alone. That only served to pique his curiosity, but he was unable to speak again as she struck his palms again with her little fists — she was adorable — and they started dancing together. She attacked, he defended.

Complying with his request, she picked up her pace as she switched to her fists, but she got the distinct feeling that he was holding back from actually engaging with her, beyond blocking her strikes.

With a sense of pride, he noted how well she was doing and how the training sessions were improving her self-defense capacity. “You’re getting better at this,” he said through heavy breathing because, while he might not be attacking her, she was making it more and more difficult to block all of her blows. “Also, you haven’t answered my question. Tell me what?”

“Give me more of a challenge and I’ll show you just how much better I’ve gotten.”

It seemed like she was slowing down, so he lowered his defense for about a minute, only to ask, “I’m not convinced and didn’t we agree somewhere down the line, not to lie to each other?”

The fact that he was choosing to continue pressing the issue of what she’d said. “We did agree to that,” she confirmed, pulling back for another punch. “And I _will_ tell you, but I don’t feel this is the time or the place!” On the last syllable, she let her hand fly towards him.

Of course, at this point in the training, he was starting to bring that brief fantasy of hers to life, with the shirt clinging very clearly to the sculpted muscles of his stomach and it distracted her so much that she almost didn’t notice when her fist made direct contact with his face.

Upon the unexpected strike being made, he fell backward with the surprise, groaning at the jolt of pain that he felt on his face. “ _Force_!” she gasped, dropping down to hover over him. “Anakin, I am so, so sorry, are you alright?”

“How long have you been wanting to do that?” He mumbled with his palms covering his face, his ears ringing and not only from the punch, from the way his given name had sounded coming from her worried lips.

 _Anakin_ … he hadn’t heard that name in so, so long and the fact that she rushed to his aid, calling him by his birth name…it made his heart skip a couple of beats. Vader realized he didn’t want her to call him anything else.

His dry, somewhat tasteless joke made her frown a little as she pulled his hands away so that she could see the damage. “I wanted to do that a long time ago,” she whispered. “But I haven’t wanted to do it for almost as long. Do you want me to get a med-droid?”

At her comment, he chuckled lightly. “Well, now you got that out of your system,” he sighed. “No, no med-droid. I can heal any bruising with the Force. It would be a fun thing to explain to everyone if I showed up with a black eye. ‘Oh, you know, my wife punched me in the face,'" Vader joked.

With her so close, he could feel her breath on his cheek and the end of her braid was touching his chest. He wanted to touch her so much, to raise his hand and push the wild strands of hair from her face. to pull her down to him and kiss her senselessly. But he didn’t. The hand that was coming up, dropped back into the mat, and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “We should…get ready. For the rest of the day,” he mumbled, trying to get distracted with something else.

“Yes, I suppose we should—”

“If I had known, Your Majesty, that this was what training sessions entailed, I would have been far more interested.”

Any breathless exhilaration or excitement Padmé might have been feeling drained out of her instantly at the realization that Miraj Scintel was there and watching them. How much had the awful woman heard? Carefully, she shifted her weight backward and stood up, extending a hand to her husband. “Yes, well, unfortunately, we’re done for the day, perhaps another time you and I can try something similar,” she offered, trying very hard to be polite.

Vader felt a powerful burst of anger at Miraj’s appearance. With a deep sigh, he accepted his wife’s helping hand and stood up, intertwining their fingers unconsciously and not letting her go.

“I think I would need some private lessons before daring to take you on, Lady Amidala,” Scintel answered, her eyes clearly on Vader and the desire still completely apparent, even if she was quelling back her more obvious attempts after how he had reacted the night before. “But, My Lord, did you not want to see our treaty ratified as soon as possible?”

“I’m sure Zygerria has private tutors for self-defense, your Highness,” Vader rolled his eyes, honestly annoyed at all the attention the woman was providing him with. “I do. My wife and I are going to get ready and we will meet you in the throne room in half an hour,” he tugged on Padmé’s hand so they could leave the training rooms.

“I’ll be waiting, my lord,” Miraj said as they passed her.

Scowling, Vader ignored her. “I hate that woman,” he mumbled under his breath. “I need a few reasons not to murder her…” he spoke as he headed towards their bedrooms.

“Would the alternative of war be enough?” she asked, doing a very feeble impression of his voice as they stepped inside and she grabbed a towel to wipe her face down before pinning up her braid in a coil. “We both hate her, but we can’t afford to spread resources and troops thinner at this point in time. Let’s just get that treaty signed and suffer through her visit as best we can. I’m going to use the fresher now so I don’t reek of sweat, then you can have a turn.” Casually, she stripped down in front of him, with wide, innocent eyes. “Of course, we could also just share it. That would be faster.”

“Right. War. Bad. Not an option,” Vader sighed and rubbed his temple. He barely had time to collect his thoughts when she started undressing. In front of him. Until she was completely naked, all flawless skin and perfect shape bare before him. His mouth went dry and he forgot how to breathe for a moment. It had been so long since he had been allowed to lay eyes on her exquisite body.

He could still remember how it felt to have it underneath him, writhing in pleasure. He could still remember how her skin felt on his calloused hands.The taste of her skin, as he devoured her, the taste of her most intimate… “No, go ahead, I’ll have my turn after you’re done,” he said, trying not to sound to pained as he turned away, unable to keep staring. If he kept doing that, Vader knew he would have her pinned down to the mattress in seconds and would ravish her until they were both sated.

But he’d promised himself. No. Not again. He wouldn’t do that. But it was not like she was making it easier for him… he was slowly dying on the inside. What was her idea about that invitation? Why did she even utter those words?

As she disappeared into the bathroom, he fell on the bed and covered his face with a pillow, groaning loudly into the fabric. All he could think about was Padmé, under the water, wet and washing herself… he turned to the side and tried to think of morbid things as to make the erection he could already feel disappear.

Padmé took very little time in the fresher since she wasn’t bothering to wash her hair for this. What was she supposed to do with him? Listen to Sabé and just tell him outright that she wanted to resume the physical aspect of their marriage? But what would happen if he rejected it? She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Once she was clean, she grabbed her towel, wrapped it around her body and stepped out. “It’s all yours,” she informed him, as she headed toward her wardrobe. Vader let out a miniscule sigh of relief that he hadn’t finished before he was composed and entered the fresher.

Listening to the water running as she sifted through her gowns, Padmé frowned, wishing he'd taken her up on her offer. She ended up choosing a turquoise gown with a scooped neck that left quite a bit of her chest exposed, golden lace overlay on the bodice, and the sleeves tight until the elbow where they were slit open and billowing down so that they trailed to the floor. As a final touch, she opened her jewelry box, looking through everything she had and stopped when she saw a gold necklace of Mandalorian design. She remembered how she'd come to have it and grimaced at the thought of that time in her life. But it  _did_ complement her gown well. The overall effect would not be as dramatic as her red ensemble from the night before, but it would still be enough that it would interest Vader for at least a little. And once Scintel was gone, maybe… She bit her lip to hide the slight smile as she looped the chain around her neck and fastened it carefully. Perfect.

Not taking too long, for fear that it would bring Miraj knocking on their door, Vader left the fresher and smiled at Padmé. “That dress is really beau–” he then noticed the necklace she wore. He had bought it for her on Mandalore. And after this one, there were a few more he had offered her at the beginning of their marriage, but Padmé had vehemently said that she would never, ever, wear them. “Oh. I bought you that necklace,” he said, a bit obviously. It was just curious and come to think of it, he has seen one or another piece before, but never gave it the proper attention. “I thought you didn’t like it,” of course, the beauty of the jewels had never been in question. It was him. The person that offered them.

“Well, I… changed my mind. And I thought it looked good with the dress,” she said lamely, unsure what else to tell him. “It really is beautiful, thank you for it.”

Vader went to his wardrobe to change into some more formal robes and after he was ready, he stepped out. “Ready? We don’t want her to knock on our door too,” he joked. Placing her hand on his arm, Padmé followed him to the throne room, calmly taking a seat in her own throne after her husband, smiling serenely at the Queen.

In the throne room, Miraj was already filled with impatience. “Finally, my lord, I started to think you had changed your mind and wanted to keep me here for a few more days.”

“Nonsense,” Vader replied smoothly. “We want you back in your planet tomorrow as planned. Zygerria is already missing you, I am sure,” he said. “Please, let’s sit. The Empress will begin by explaining you the slavery bill, since she was the one that created it.”

When he cued her, Padmé leaned forward, smile growing. “Of course we understand that your world’s economy depends heavily on the slave trade, and that it would be devastating to eliminate it outright immediately,” she explained, trying not to seem too overly smug or disdainful. She spoke slowly and clearly so that Miraj couldn’t complain she didn’t understand. “So, we’ve created a system that will slowly phase you into a system more in keeping with the rest of the empire. Some elements are meant to be enacted sooner, namely that children and elderly currently in bondage are to be released immediately. Over the next ten standard years, you and your people will be expected to continually release more and more laborers, and to start paying them livable wages. If necessary, you will be eligible to apply for a loan from the Banking Clan in the interim, and the Empire will be sending representatives once a year to check on your progress. At the end of the ten-year grace period, if you have adhered to the terms of the contract, Zygerria and the other worlds in its system will be welcomed into the Empire with full protections and privileges. Does any of that not sit well with you?”

Vader sat, listening to Padmé explain the basics of the treaty. More and more, Miraj’s face darkened. She didn’t like the terms, and you didn’t need to be Force-sensitive to know it.

“You’re telling me I will be staying on probation for ten years? With regular check-ups to see if I am behaving?” Miraj’s lips curled down in a displeased frown. “Like I am some infant to be disciplined?”

“Ten years is the time estimated to end slavery and keep the economy balance in your planet. Completely abolishing it overnight, while tempting, would leave the system you have in shambles. You would have to worry about protests or retaliation. Therefore, once you sign this treaty, the only people you are going to immediately release is children and elderly. There will be an education bill that I trust you will gladly accept, that provides free education to the children that so far have been enslaved and cut from knowledge. The elderly will receive the proper care. As Padmé said, the Banking Clan is ready to give you a loan for extra costs with health and education,” Vader explained. “It’s a well built, beneficial, treaty. It benefits you, and the Empire.”

“Are you telling me that there are worse things than a ten year probation and being under the thumb of the Blanking Clan?” Miraj seethed.

“Yes, you could go to war with me,” Vader deadpanned and Miraj stood up straighter. “Nobody wants that, I believe. We made a treaty that can be useful for both parts.”

“When I agreed to sign this treaty, you told me I would be a part of the Empire,” Miraj pointed out.

“You _will_ be part of the Empire. In ten years. If you follow the rules. Like you’ve said, your Highness, I am not Emperor Palpatine. He let you have your slavery and deep pockets while your people starved to death. I’m not going to allow that.”

“Should I refuse, do you even have the resources go to war with me, with all of the cuts that the military has suffered, because of Lady Amidala’s bills?” Miraj challenged, throwing a smirk at Padmé. The Empress clenched her fist so that her nails bit into her palms and forced her face to remain calm as her husband replied.

“I have a full battalion of armed soldiers that respect me and will follow me to the Unknown Regions blindfolded. You will have to explain to your guards why are you at war with the Emperor and why is their blood you are going to spill. I’ll gladly take my chances, but it would be so much nicer if we could all get along,” Vader drawled out, not phased by her provocation.

Miraj gritted her teeth, and read the treaty in front of her.

“The signature is tomorrow morning. You can have the rest of the day to read the treaty. I have to warn you beforehand that not one of the terms is negotiable.” He felt immense pleasure at her anger. For years, he had wanted to end the reign of slavery Miraj imposed on her planet. He knew what being a slave was like, and knowing he was finally ending it, at least on Zygerria, made him feel more at peace with himself.

With controlled anger and annoyance, Miraj clenched the treaty tightly in her hands and turned, dismissing herself to study the document in better detail. Vader grinned victoriously at her back, watching her lackeys go after her.

It gave the Empress no small measure of delight to see the Zygerrian Queen so utterly outraged. Had the woman done no research, was she not aware of the system of Moffs and governors that were already in place across the Empire? Rather than say anything, she simply sat back and watched, smiling innocently and playing with her necklace as Vader took down Miraj with almost surgical precision. Seeing her get more and more indignant as he cut away her arguments was almost like taking an aphrodisiac.

“This is going to be a very long lesson in delayed gratification for her, I think,” Padmé said, unable to hide her giggle once she and Vader were alone. “Oh, but her face, she was furious! And you were incredible!”

“The Queen has no other choice but to sign it, and she knows it. It doesn’t mean she likes it, but eventually, she’ll get tired of pushing our buttons, I hope,” Vader chuckled as he saw her giddiness at Miraj’s misery. “I am not here to coddle her or give in to her wishes, she shouldn’t have come expecting it,” he shrugged as he stood up from his seat.

And then, she rose from her seat too and moved towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning in to give him a soft kiss on the lips, a tender little thing, really. But it wasn’t a calculated move like the one she’d bestowed the night before in front of the queen, it had come completely unbidden, naturally and without even really thinking about it. She had kissed him because she wanted to kiss him.

The small, tender kiss was completely unexpected. Not unwelcome. No, not at all. This was the second time, in two days, that she’d kissed him. That she _voluntarily_ sought his lips. More than that, she was…  _hugging_ him.

While the kiss of the night before was a show of claim, this…it was effortless and it felt natural. A normal husband would kiss her back. Maybe wrap his arms around her waist. Cradled her face in his hands and kept kissing her. Yes, those would be some normal husbandly actions. To his utter disappointment, Vader was not a normal husband and their history was too tainted for him to even move.  He reciprocated, even if slowly but his hands remained on his side, and he… he wanted to be able to fully reciprocate but it was like he couldn’t move. Alarms were already going off in his head and he tried to be as gentle as possible as to not hurt her feelings, and pulled away from her.

“I promised Dara I would help with the troops’ inspection today and would train with her as well,” he said as he started to put some space between them. “I’ll see you later in the evening. Try not to go to war with the Zygerrian Queen, please,” he smiled.

“You have my word,” she mumbled, unable to hide her sullen demeanor at him refusing to return her gesture even a little. “I’ll take a look at the reports from the sectors, maybe do some shopping… Don’t get too overtired during training, you need to be awake tomorrow morning for the treaty signing. And there will undoubtedly be reporters there.”

Sabé was right. Something big had to be done. Something very clear. Fingering her necklace, she headed to her office suite, comming Sabé and Dormé to come join her. Both of them seemed rather perplexed by her summons as she stood, looking out at Coruscant. “Do you remember those late nights where we would stay up at the palace?” she asked. “Towards the end of my first term as queen?”

“The ones where we’d tell each other our secrets? Silly fantasies and who we found attractive?” Dormé asked, clearly puzzled. “Why would you ask about something like that, my lady? It was so long ago.”

“I’m asking if you remember mine, Dormé. The one it took substantial coaxing for you to get out of me?”

“The scenario with—” Dormé blushed, then whispered it in Padmé’s ear.

“Yes, Dormé, that one. I want you to go to my tailor and tell him to make me a dress that you think would fit that situation. Can you do that for me?”

“I… I think so.”

“Good, because I need it by tomorrow. Tell him I’ll pay handsomely for it. Sabé, I need you to visit the jeweler and get the _main piece_ from him. Again, by tomorrow. Money’s not an object. Both of you use my personal accounts so that Vader doesn’t know. Now go, we don’t have much time.”

* * *

After a long inspection at his troops, some strategy talk with Rex and Cody, and a few direction calls on a couple of squadrons, Vader was able to retire with Dara to the training hall. Red lightsabers met in a blur of quick and Force-enhanced movements, but after the second time she almost got him, the Togruta quirked her eyebrows. “Are you alright?” She asked amused.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Vader replied striking another blow against her dual lightsabers. They managed a couple of more minutes, before he failed his step. Again. “Is the Empress driving you crazy?” Dara asked, amusement dancing on her light yellow eyes.

With ragged breathing, he raised his eyebrows at his apprentice’s sharp observation.

“More than usual, I mean,” she added with a chuckle.

Sighing, he lifted his lightsaber again, silently, and they both kept dueling until the end of the training where the Master proves why he’s the Master. Grinning down at Dara, he helps her up. “Not so distracted after all, am I?”

“Do you… need to talk or something? Your signature is all mixed up,” Dara offered as she accepted his hand and was brought back to her feet.

“That’s on my wife,” he sulked as he deactivated his lightsaber. “She keeps giving me… mixed signals.”

“About what?” Dara prompted.

“Adult stuff,” Vader replied uncomfortably.

“Sex, then,” Dara rolled her eyes and deactivated both of her lightsabers as well. “Maybe she’s ready again,” she smirked bumping her shoulder with his.

Vader scowled. “I’m not. Not another word about this, Dara. Let’s rest. It’s past dinner time anyway. Next training, either you win, or you’ll have to meditate for a day,” and then he left, hearing Dara’s annoyed groan in the background.

Padmé had chosen not to change her clothes for dinner, since it was most likely to be just her and Vader, and had instead spent the few hours after she sent Dormé and Sabé out on their respective tasks reviewing bills that had been submitted for the upcoming reconvention of the Senate. Once she felt reasonably well-prepared, she headed down to the dining hall to meet Vader for the evening meal.

He didn’t show up, but that wasn’t uncommon when he was training with Dara. But after nearly an hour went, she was too hungry to keep waiting and she started eating without him, the silence as she did so utterly deafening.

_Did I push too hard? I know that he cares about me, after everything that’s happened… Does he think that I’m faking it all for his sake?_

As Vader reached their bedroom, he entered the fresher right away and took a quick shower, changing into his pajamas. His stomach was in knots, so he wasn’t hungry to go down for dinner and he hopes Padmé has taken the meal with her handmaidens at least. Maybe he should have warned her he wouldn’t be present, but with the training, he didn’t even remember it.

He laid on top of the bed, face burrowed in the pillow. He couldn’t understand what she wanted from him. Ever since they decided on a truce with each other, it has been walking on eggshells sometimes. Of course, when they had those weeks with the girls, it helped improve their relationship as they started to share a bed, the comfort of each other’s presence.

After what happened… the countless unfortunate incidents… how could he think Padmé would _willingly_ let him touch her? Not even Vader thought he could anymore! He couldn’t lose her because of that. He had pushed her too far, too many times. He had been a beast, a _monster_ , and that was not something one forgot. The single thought that he might lose her… after what it took to get them here… it made him go into a full panic mode.

He rationalized with himself that the only reason she was acting so boldly was because of Miraj Scintel’s presence. Padmé never hid from him how much she despised the slaver. Her actions were influenced by it. It was a power play. The actions when they were alone were a result of… keeping him interested in her? Trying to stop him from seeking Miraj for… something other? Not that he would…

What he had to remind himself over and over again, was that Miraj would be gone after lunch next day. Padmé would get back to normal. Vader could have some peace, and keep admiring and caring for his wife from afar. That was his last thought before he drifted off to sleep.

With her meal finished, Padmé returned to their bedroom, only to find Vader already asleep. Any anger she might have had for him being absent immediately dissipated, clearly he’d been too exhausted from training, it happened sometimes… She paused at the bed, her fingertips lingering over his cheek for a moment before she leaned down and kissed the top of his head.

Slowly, she she started undressing, leaving the turquoise dress with her other worn clothes for the laundry droids and placing the necklace back in its case on her vanity before she sat down to tend to her hair. As she uncoiled the plait, she reflected on the circumstances again. Yes, their past was a terrible one… yet things had changed so much, _Vader_ had changed so much, especially after he’d given her the Senate and they’d both started making a greater effort to coexist harmoniously… She would even say that they were… friends now.

But even if it was only because of that horrible woman being here, she realized that she wanted more than his friendship. She _wanted_ the kind of passion he’d shown her on Mandalore, this time fully reciprocated, she wanted him to know that she forgave him, and that she truly did want this of her own accord…

She sat silently, staring at her own bare form in the mirror, her hair falling over the swell of her breasts, her taut stomach with the faintest of stretch marks contrasting with the rest of her otherwise smooth, fair skin, her face… “Somehow,” she whispered, rising to grab a nightgown she could slip into before taking her place beside him in the bed. Taking one of his arms, she carefully pulled it around her shoulders, pressing their bodies together for additional warmth beneath the covers. “ _Good night, my husband._ ”

Vader stirred awake and the first thing he saw was Padmé’s peaceful sleeping expression. Somehow she was nestled in his arms, with her head on his shoulder and he could smell the lovely perfume of her locks as it tickled his nose. Smiling, he pressed his lips against her temple and enjoyed the comfort of being able to hold her like this. A part of him missed their initial times in Mandalore…another knew it was wrong. It wasn’t true. Not for her. At the time he didn’t let guilt, or remorse cloud his decisions or influence his thoughts. But he had changed.

Knowing he had to get up, he slowly pulled away from her, letting her rest on the middle of the bed, cocooned between the blankets. They were signing the treaty today. Which mean that Miraj would soon be gone. _Thank the Force!_ As he grabbed the clothes from his wardrobe, he decided on more formal robes for the occasion. He dressed quietly and when he was done, he grabbed his lightsaber and placed the hilt on his belt.

Sitting on the bed besides his sleeping wife, he gently touched her shoulder. “Padmé? Padmé, wake up sweetheart, we are signing the treaty soon,” the endearment slipped easily from his lips and he could have reacted awkwardly, but he decided against it. “And… Miraj will be gone in a couple of hours,” he stage whispered.

_“...wake up, sweetheart....”_

“Hmmm?” Padmé rolled up to look at him, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Is it morning already?” As she sat up, she realized he has already dressed ahead of her for once. “You look very handsome,” she mumbled, her mouth twisting slightly as she tried to get rid of the dry morning taste. Then the last bits of drowsiness cleared from her head and the rest of what he'd said processed for her. “We’re not late, are we?” she asked, panicking a little as she scrambled out of bed. “How much time do I have to get dressed?”

Vader chuckled. “Thank you. You look adorable too,” he returned the compliment, gazing over at her still sleepy look. As she scrambled out of bed, he smiled. “No, we’re not late. I just got up earlier than usual,” he stood. “You still have an hour before we have to be at the throne room. Don’t worry.”

He sat in one of the chairs and grabbed a datapad. Vader had woken up with a decision in his mind. Once Miraj left, he would make it official. Padmé would become the Chancellor for the Senate. He had given her temporary reign, but she still needed his approval for every little thing. They usually agreed, something he wasn’t expecting to happen but it did. Padmé showed that she fought by his side and not against it. It was time to make it permanent.

Trying to stay calm and failing utterly, Padmé scrambled through her clothes for something that would completely overshadow Miraj while still being tasteful enough that she wouldn’t mind women on Coruscant and in the Inner Rim emulating the style, as they often did with her more talked-about gowns. “I should have thought about this last night!” she wailed.

“My lady, maybe this one.” Dormé hurried into the room carrying a simple wrap silk dress with a thin belt that had been spectra-dyed in shades of blue and turquoise and was decorated with tiny gems and shimmering gold embroidery.

“Oh… Thank you, Dormé.” Padmé accepted it with slight confusion as she leaned in and whispered, ”this isn’t….”

“No, they’re still working on that. It will be ready by this afternoon.”

“Good, thank you.” Padmé hugged her friend and stepped behind her usual changing screen to slip into the dress while Dormé styled her hair to coil around a golden circlet of stars and gems, with the usual few loose curls. Satisfied, Padmé emerged, giving a quick spin for her husband’s benefit. “What do you think? Does it need anything?” she asked, tying the sash to rest loosely on her hips.

Raising his eyes from the datapad, he smiled at her, shutting it off and rising to his feet. “No, it’s perfect,” he complimented, offering her his hand. “Let’s go and get rid of her once and for all,” Vader grinned, happy with the idea of having peace again.

At the throne room, they arrived at the same time Miraj and her aides did. “Your Highness, did you had the time to read the whole treaty?” Vader greeted her.

“I did, my lord, and very well, I’ll sign it,” Miraj said dryly, glaring at the joined hands of the Emperor and Empress. “If I must.”

“You know the alternative,” Vader quirked one eyebrow and entered the Throne Room first.

For a stay of three days, signing this treaty only took ten minutes. Miraj looked like she was going to be sick. “There. Satisfied?” She said dryly.

“Plenty,” Vader smiled with satisfaction. “It was lovely to have you,” he said smoothly, lying with every fiber. “Let’s… reschedule for… some day.”

The signing was over and it was a blur from there to escort Miraj to the hangar, where she left Coruscant. Moments later, the Emperor fell in his throne, relaxed and taking the time to breathe deeply. “Finally. This is over and done with. We can have peace from now on.”

“Until ten years from now, when we’ll have to officially welcome her into the Empire,” Padmé pointed out somewhat grimly. “But ten years _is_ a long enough time that I’ll take it. At least I know she won’t be personally sitting in the Senate, _that_ would be agony.”

“Ugh, ten years is too far away for me to worry about it right now,” Vader said. “I don’t think she will, let’s stop worrying about her, please, she’s gone, thankfully,” he asked.

This was the time. It had to be. Vader was in a good mood, they were getting along… “There’s something I wanted to ask you about,” she said hesitantly, fingering one of her curls as an unexpected nervousness set in. “It… it can wait, if you need to take care of other things first, but… it would mean a lot to me if you’d… humor me.”

“I will, but in a minute, I have to tell you about a decision that I made and it directly affects you,” Vader nodded as he took her hand and pulled her, gently, in front of him. “I decided to give you the permanent control of the Senate. You do a much better job than I could ever do there,” _and in a way it makes you happier._ “Besides, you have more than proven that we are both working for the same thing. I trust you. Now you won’t come to me to authorize every little thing. You have the final say and I know you will always make the best call.” Smiling, he leaned back on the throne. “But what was your question?”

She gaped at him in amazement, her heartbeat picking up furiously and she fumbled to find the right words. “You mean… full control? You would trust me like that? I… I don’t know what to say… Thank you…”

The way he was smiling at her was not helping her situation… had his eyes always looked quite so… blue? “My question? Well, it was… um… well, it’s about… since we don’t have anything else scheduled for today, I thought that maybe we could…” Then she stopped and shook her head. “It would be better if I showed you. Can you please just… wait here? I promise I’ll be back, you’ll understand, I just need to get a few things, don’t move…” She turned and hurried back to their rooms.

Vader opened and closed his mouth as Padmé hurried out of the throne room. He hadn’t understand what she wanted to ask him and now he was curious.

Padmé burst into the suite, startling Dormé and Sabé from a game of holochess. “Please tell me they’re here.”

“They just arrived, but—”

“Good, good.” Padmé dropped her dress without any ceremony. “Sabé, help me get into _it_ , then bring its key to the Emperor, he’s waiting in the throne room. Dormé, help me with the dress, please. We need to be fast about this.”

* * *

 Just as she asked, Vader waited for his wife. When the doors opened, he looked up expectantly, only to see Sabé.

“Don’t be so disappointed, my lord, she will be right with you,” Sabé chuckled as she approached the throne. “Here, you will need this,” she extended her hand.

“A key?” Vader asked confused as he picked the small metal object. “Why do I need it?”

“Play along with her. This is something of relative importance for the Empress, my lord, and I would prefer if you did not ruin it,” Sabé said.

“I don’t understand. What is?” He was utterly confused and Sabé wasn’t helping.

“We all have our fantasies, my lord, this is one of hers,” Sabé grinned and it dawned on Vader. He widened his eyes, mouth popping open in shock. “I believe your wife is ready to engage in some more… personal activities.”

“No, Sabé. No, no, no, no. I promised myself I wouldn’t do this again to her, you can’t expect me… Not what after…no, Sabé. Go. Tell her to drop this and let’s forget what almost happened,” he told her in a state of panic.

“My Lord, she wants this. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of preparing it. Trust her. I know you two…” Sabé took a deep breath before her expression read ' _kriff it'_ as she spoke again. “You two clearly want to be with each other. I understand the history and the pain, I’ve been here, I've seen it. But be a big boy, my Lord, and trust her.”

Without letting him speak again, Sabé turned her back and left. Vader sat, frozen in the throne, the key safely in his hand. He was terrified. He was only going to hurt her again. No… he couldn’t lose her. _Padmé, why?_


	26. Culmination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some not safe for work content in this chapter— of a sexual nature.

Taking a deep breath, Padmé looked at her reflection. Dormé had teased her now-loose hair to look a little wilder so that it contrasted with the careful draping of the undersaturated pink silk and the hammered gold collar winding from her neck to her waist. Her back was completely bare, the front of her bodice tied into that little collar. Like the gown she’d worn the first night of Miraj’s visit, there was a slit up the left that left her leg free and provided the tiniest hint at the device she wore beneath.

_I can do this._

And, swallowing her fear, she returned to the throne room, head ducked.

* * *

The moment he was sure he was alone, Vader groaned and dropped his head in his hands. This couldn’t be happening to him right now. They were supposed to be going back to normal. Why would Padmé want this? Miraj was gone. She didn’t have to worry about her any longer and he… he had given her control of the Senate. It was a proof of his trust, so she didn’t have to feel obligated to submit herself to him again.

Not able to stay still any longer, he rose, slipping the key in his pocket, wondering in the back of his head why would he need a key in the first place. He paced the throne room, trying to shake the panic that had installed itself in his mind and in his heart. Whenever he thought about being intimate with her again, he thought about that fateful night where he did not ask for permission but instead took what he wanted. And he also thought about a few months previously, when he believed they were on the right track and decided to play, only to have her traumatized.

He looked at his hands. He was only going to hurt her. That was what he had been doing since the beginning and he didn’t want to do it anymore. He wanted her to be happy. If possible, by his side. But taking this step again… he was afraid. _Darth Vader_ was afraid. Which was ridiculous… or was it?

When had his Sith name become so irrelevant to him?

With a sigh, he sat back on his throne and mentally prepared a speech that wouldn’t hurt her feelings. But all words evaporated when she entered. His eyes widened to a ridiculous size as he sat straighter on the throne. Vader’s faded yellow eyes went over her entire body with a hungry gaze and he had to tighten his fists on the arms of the throne as to not leap for her.

“Please, forgive the delay, your majesty, I promise it won’t happen again,” Padmé said, the tremble in her voice carefully calculated as she walked through the door. Slowly, she started taking steps towards him, the soft click of a lock at her hip as she lifted her eyes to look at him.

“I know what everyone expects,” she whispered. “What all your soldiers think you’re going to do to me. But I know you’re not that kind of man. I believe you will be good to me, your majesty.” As she spoke, she carefully mounted the steps just far enough that they were at eye level with one another.

“I know you have the key. That it is yours by right, and by my own will and trust. I _want_ you to do this. I **_want_** you to have me.”

The way she spoke. The low volume, head ducked and the tremble in her voice. A year ago this would have made him the happiest Sith in the Galaxy because she was being submissive to him, just like he used to think she should be. While right now it made him shiver with desire, it was a reminder that she was trying to please him, to be good to him and he could understand why!

Her dress hid something and there was a little noise he couldn’t associate with anything, but he wasn’t too focused on that. No, he was focused on her eyes. Her expression. The way her hair seemed so wild and untamed, that just made him want to run his fingers through it and mess it up more.

_I want you to have me._

**_Trust me, I want to have you more than you think,_ ** he thought to himself.

“Padmé…” he whispered with a dry mouth. Vader had to close his eyes to regain some control over his senses and thoughts. “You don’t have to do this,” he whispered, re-opening them. He could understand this was some sort of fantasy. Both hers and…his too. Didn’t he give her this as the last vision the night before their wedding? Maybe he was ruining it for her but he couldn’t touch her, he wasn’t able to pursue anything without voicing his fears, giving her a way out. With a shaking hand, he took her own. “I don’t need this. Trust me. I can’t put you through that again. Miraj is gone. We can go back to normal. There’s nothing to prove. Don’t feel obligated to do something that makes you uncomfortable.”

**_Please, don’t think I don’t want you._ **

**_Please, don’t think that I am dismissing your fantasy._ **

**_Please know that this is what I’ve been wanting for so long…_ **

“I know.”

Padmé closed any leftover distance between the two of them, taking his face in her hands in such a way that the tips of her fingers were in the soft dark blond curls of his hair. Completely abandoning her fantasy, she looked straight into his eyes and pressed their foreheads together.

“I know I don’t have to do this. I know you don’t expect it of me. But I _want_ to do this, I don’t want to go back to normal, it’s… it’s not enough anymore. I thought it was, but ever since Miraj showed up, I’ve realized more and more that what we've had since the girls visited… it’s pleasant, but it’s not what I really want. She was the catalyst, not the root.”

One of her hands slid down to retake his, the one holding the key, and she pulled her head back so that she could raise the little metal object to the level of both their eyes. “I wouldn’t have given you this, I wouldn’t have done _any_ of this if I did not trust you. If I had even the slightest belief that you would ever hurt me again, we would not be standing here right now as we are. Yet here we are. Because I don’t believe that. Because I believe that you regret the pain that passed between us. I believe that you care for me enough you would never cause me harm again, and I… I care for you too.”

It was so close, and yet, so very, very far away from _I love you_ , something that irritated the handmaiden listening outside the door to no end, but that was the furthest thing from Padmé’s mind as she continued to look at her husband.

“If this is something that you really, truly don’t want, then just give me back the key, and I’ll abide by your request. I’ll never bring this up again. But if you know that this is something we both want, deep down, please. Trust me. Trust me like I am trusting you right now.”

Her words touched him and he slowly nodded, closing his hand around the key and gently pulling his hand away to save it in his pocket. “I don’t want to hurt you again, I would die first before that happened,” he confessed. Licking his lips, one of his hands came up to cradle the side of her face. “I do care about you and that’s why I don’t want to make the same mistakes again. I want this too. Do you know how beautiful you are, Padmé?”

Both of his hands came to her waist and brought her to straddle his lap, before rising to cup her cheeks and he leaned forward to capture her lips in a gentle kiss that quickly turned passionate. Months of repressed emotions poured out into a single kiss with Vader wanted to show her that he did care, maybe more, for her. Leaving her face, his hands caressed her naked back and when he involuntarily rocked his hips underneath her, he felt it.

With a soft gasp, he pulled away from her lips. Putting two and two together, he grinned slowly. “Milady, you were saying?” Vader slipped into his role. If this is what she wanted, he would trust her.

Padmé hadn’t expected the kiss. His acceptance had delighted her so much that the kiss felt like biting into a piece of shuura fruit after a long swim, twice as sweet as expected, and so very fulfilling. She was so disappointed when it ended that she almost didn’t realize he was playing the game with her now and had to take a moment to get her bearings.

“My parents were very careful, your majesty,” she answered coyly, batting her eyelashes as she resumed her own character. “They knew a day like this was all too possible, they wanted to make sure I had some measure of protection.” And with that, she pulled aside her skirts to give him a full view of the chastity belt adorning her waist.

“Custom-made,” she told him, giving a cheeky smile. “Only one key can open it, _if_ the man is worthy. Do you think yourself to be so?”

“Careful, indeed,” Vader muttered as he glanced at the chastity belt before his eyes were back to stare into her own big ones and he had to kiss her again. His hand found the silky skin of her tight and his fingers drew invisible figures over it, teasing her, drawing out their much-deserved release.

After he broke the kiss, he kept a trail down the column of her neck. “I have one key, Milady,” he mumbled against her pulse point as he nipped at the flesh there. “I think it’s the one,” whispering, his lips returned to hers. Vader has been so deprived of her, that now he doesn’t seem to want to stop kissing her. To make sure the moment they were having was real. “Shall we see if it works?” He smirked against her lips and grabbed the key he had packed away.

Looking at the chastity belt, his fingers danced around the lock that would set her free. With slow movements, and stealing kisses from her in the middle, he inserted the key in the lock and twisted it. It unlocked at the same moment he took her lower lip between his teeth and sucked. “I guess I am worthy, aren’t I, Milady?”

“So it would seem, but I don’t know if I’m convinced just yet,” she replied, giving him an impish grin and a twist of her hips. The lock opened with a click and the two metal pieces fell away, clattering to the floor. “The real test is only just beginning.”

The vision he’d sent her of a scenario very like this one before they had married seemed almost innocent, compared to the acts that happened on the throne over the following hours. By the time it was over, they were both sitting naked on the throne, with her cradled in his laps, both of their clothes scattered across the room.

“That was… amazing,” Padmé whispered, nuzzling her head against his chest with a little smile. “I don’t think I even knew it was possible to feel like that.”

Vader chuckled, a blissful smile on his lips as one of his hands played with the ends of her hair. “I know,” he mumbled, kissing her temple. It was… everything he had wanted for them and then some. Vader held his tongue when he thought that that was always how he tried to make her feel, but now, the willingness came from both sides and not just from him. The connection that they had was different, which made it all a thousand times better.

Using the Force, he summoned his heavier dark robe towards them, before draping it over her shoulders. “What if we went to our bedroom?” Vader nuzzled her neck. “We can ask to have our dinner brought to us,” kissing her cheek, he smiled. “I’m perfectly fine with just holding you for the rest of the night. Unless you have some other fantasy to fulfill tonight, Milady,” he teased her gently.

“I don’t. That was… really the only fantasy I’ve ever had, I’m not very creative,” she confessed, blushing as she pulled the robe a little tighter around her body.  “And one thing has remained true, you are _very_ good at being thorough and leaving me exhausted. I think a quiet evening in bed sounds just wonderful.”

Giving a little squeak as she shifted to get off his lap and stand, Padmé had to brace herself on one of the armrests of the throne in order to keep her balance. “You know… maybe the Senate can wait another day to reconvene. I feel like I might be too tired to even get out of bed tomorrow.”

Pushing a few strands of hair from her eyes, and hiding them behind her ear, he grinned. “Well, that was the first time I fulfilled a fantasy like that and I think it was creative enough,” he pecked her lips. “It’s a gift, sweetheart,” he chuckled. “I don’t usually leave things halfway done,” he winked and as she left his lap, he rose to grab his pants and put them on.

“Call in a sick day and just spend the day in bed?” Vader suggested, starting to gather their discarded clothes, stopping just to dress his shirt. “I approve!”

There was a clatter outside the doorway, then the muffled, unmistakable sound of Dara yelling and footsteps running away from the doors. “Oh, Force, I think they heard us…” Padmé realized in horror.

Vader sighed. “Oh, yeah, they’ve been there for hours…” he rolled his eyes. “I never knew they were so meddlesome,” he muttered, only half-annoyed. “I don’t think anyone will be able to enter this room again without picturing us at the throne. I have to sit there every day and that will keep me distracted,” he chuckled as the last thing he grabbed was the chastity belt and her dress. “But it was about time we christened it,” he said smugly, kissing her forehead. “Shall we?”

“We shall,” she laughed, slipping her arms into the robe’s sleeves before taking her dress from him and tying it like a belt to keep the robe closed. “I suppose I can’t be too upset with Dormé and Sabé, they did help me put this whole thing together on very short notice. They can get tomorrow off as well, but the day after that, I may have to discipline them.”

She went to move, but her feet were still unsteady, and this time, she grabbed his arm. “Maybe... you could carry me back?” she requested sweetly.

Vader barked a laugh. “Well then maybe they can join on Dara’s disciplinary actions as well,” he grinned. The way she looked wearing his robe, made him want her that much more. There was something so enchanting and seductive in seeing her wearing his clothes that was leaving him ready to have her there again.

Dropping what he had in his hands on the floor again, he swooped her off of her feet. If her handmaidens were so curious about their afternoon, then maybe they could go ahead and grab their stuff after they left. “Of course,” he said kissing her sweetly. “After all, it’s really all my fault that I left you weak in the knees,” he teased.

Until their bedroom, they didn’t see anyone, which meant that Dara and the handmaidens had worked to give them privacy. In their bedroom, he laid her in bed and kissed her forehead. “Comm one of them to bring us dinner?”

“Just give me a moment... anything you want in particular, Anakin?” she asked, picking up her datapad and opening a request she could directly program down to the kitchens. Then she realized her slip. “Sorry, I didn’t mean... I know you don’t really care for that name....”

This was not the first time she’d done it in the last few days either. There’d been the slip up at training. And then she’d said it multiple times during their activities on the throne, completely by accident. She just... liked how it sounded.

While the name was still foreign to him, Vader found that he did not mind it when it came from her. Especially when it was in the throes of passion like it had been moments before in the throne room. “I’ll have whatever you do,” he replied before sitting down next to her on the bed, “I’ve noticed that you grew fond of that name.” he noticed. “First, when you punched me in the face and then, a few moments ago, that was everything you could say,” he whispered with a smirk before stealing one more kiss. “I don’t mind. If you want to keep calling me that. And yes, that was something I never thought I would allow,” he admitted as he rolled his eyes.

“Thank you, I’m honored,” she said earnestly, finished up the order before transmitting it down to the kitchens. “And I promise, I won’t use it except when we’re alone. I’m sure you don’t want the entire galaxy knowing that... it could get messy.”

She yawned a little, stretching and reclining against the pillows of the bed. “So... I’m curious now, what fantasies do _you_ have? Beyond claiming your wife on the throne?”

“I would appreciate that, thank you,” Vader chuckled and lounged by her side. Miraj Scintel was gone, the treaty had been signed, and he and his wife had rekindled their intimacy. It had been a really amazing day.

Her question made him laugh. “Well, I can scratch that one off my list,” he said, amused. “I don’t have a lot of fantasies, Padmé, besides this one…” Vader shrugged. “I don’t know, I’ll guess I’ll let you know once I figure it out.”

“So long as you let me know. And I’ll do the same for you if anything comes to mind for me. No more surprises. At least not ones that have the potential to hurt either of us. Agreed?” As she spoke, her hand drifted up into his hair, stroking it gently. She found the rhythm of the gesture very comforting.

Someone knocked at the door, but she felt disinclined to move from where the two of them were. “Threepio, will you please take care of whatever that is?”

“Oh my‚ Oh, yes, at once, milady!” the droid exclaimed,  surprised that his mistress had called on him so abruptly. Padmé giggled.

“Don’t ever change him too much when you tinker with him, he’s adorable.”

“I’ve tried to change him, it never worked. I guess – and I know it sounds impossible – but he gained this sassy personality and it will never be turned off,” Vader chuckled as Threepio reentered the room with a tray.

“Your dinner, Mistress Padmé and Master Vader,” he said, setting the tray down on the bed. “Do you still need me?”

“No, Threepio, thank you. Why don’t you go and rest? Take Artoo with you,” Vader shook his head, grabbing the tray to pull it near them. He was finding that the way his wife stroked his hair was too relaxing and too good for him to move too much.

“Certainly, Master Vader. May I say how happy I am that you two seem to have solved your personal issues? Artoo will be delighted…” Threepio said as he went off to power down.

Vader shook his head. “Has everyone noticed?” he snorted.

“I think a nerf herder on Arkanis might not know,” Padmé joked dryly, taking a bite of one of the slices of shuura fruit that had been arranged on the edge of one of the plates. “But you make a point that’s still worrying me. What did you manage to find out about Miraj’s breach of our security? I’m concerned it may run deeper than just her.”

“I left Dara in charge of that,” he said with a pleased smile. “She has captured the spy and after a few…persuasion methods…he told us everything. Dara shipped him to Zygerria as a warning symbol. The Queen won’t make a move to spy on us ever again,” Vader ended gently, capturing her lips in a sweet, tender kiss.

It wasn’t exactly typical pillow talk, but then they weren’t exactly a typical married couple. “I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that thanks to Dara, Sabé, Rex, and Dormé’s efforts to spy on us, a lot of credits going to be changing hands tonight,” Padmé remarked with a wry smile to her husband.

“I should punish them for making bets on our personal life.” A spark of mischief shined in his faded yellow eyes. “Or make them think they are in trouble. I don’t know. Play with them the way they play with us,” he chuckled, his fingers drawing shapes on her exposed skin.

Forgetting the food they were eating, his lips descended to her neck. He gently mouthed at the skin there, just enjoying being able to touch her, to kiss her, again. This time without her kicking and screaming or spitting threats in his face.

He was just… _happy_. It was _bliss_.

“I don’t know, I don’t want to be overly cruel to them. After all, we rely thoroughly on them for nearly everything, who knows what vengeance they might exact if they catch on—Oooh!” Padmé squeaked as his lips found a very tender spot on her neck. “Is that your way of telling me you want to go again?” she gasped, pushing the tray from the bed onto the nearest flat surface, just to be sure they wouldn’t make a mess. “Making me want it too? If so, it’s devious and underhanded… and I don’t want you to stop.”

“That does not mean that they can eavesdrop on our sex life or make bets on how many times I can make you come,” Vader mumbled against her neck, before raising his head. He tucked a wild strand of hair behind her ear. “I thought you weren’t even able to walk,” he chuckled. “But no, we don’t have to tonight. I just…adore your neck,” he smiles, nuzzling the column of her throat.

Vader wanted her comfortable. If this was the first step for a better relationship, then he wanted to move forward. Always. Not taking any steps back, it was one of his goals. It was still hard to tell her that he was happy. That he was living in pure bliss right now. Telling her things like that… it still made him uneasy. It would be so out of character…

“Do you want a holovid?”

“I don’t think I’m really going to watch it that much if we do play one,” she laughed, pulling herself onto his lap and resting her head on his shoulder. “Maybe this should be time spent plotting whatever payback it is we want to give our scheming little staff. Let’s put something on so they can’t hear us.”

She took the datapad and flipped through to find a random drama playing and turned the volume up. “So… How do you think Rex would appreciate us meddling in his crush on Dara? Too cruel?”

Vader wrapped his arms loosely around her, kissing her head. “Oh, you’ve picked up on that too, huh?” He chuckled, quietly. “We can always lock them in a broom closet, or something. I’ll Force lock it so my Apprentice doesn’t get any ideas,” he smirked. “I’m not very good at coming up with these plans. But one of your handmaidens has her eyes on Cody. Or is it Fives? I just heard rumors about it,” he said as he played with her long hair.

“Dormé, probably,” Padmé guessed. “Sabé is... not interested in men. But I don’t know which of the troopers it is. We’ll have to take some time to observe her more closely. Artoo is generally very good at catching things that other people don’t.”

Catching his hand, she brought it around to cup her breast again below the robe. “We’ll give him his mission directives in the morning. Right now... I think we could be using our energy on more enjoyable exploits.”

“So your bodyguard is…into women?” Vader’s mouth opened in shock. “I wasn’t aware. And she’s your bodyguard?” What if Sabé was in love with his wife? A burst of jealousy spread through his body but he ignored it. He had just rekindled things with Padmé, he wasn’t going to ruin that.

“You’ve seen how much we look alike, she’s been my decoy since I was fourteen,” Padmé explained, brushing his hair away with a little smile. “And she’s a consummate professional, it’s never gotten in the way of her work.”

“Never mind.” As she guided his hand, Vader smirked. “I thought I had tired you for the night?” he reminded her again in a husky whisper, lips brushing across her chin as his hand caressed her breast through the silk. “If you’re up to it, I can do it _all night long_.”

The increased pressure made her sigh a little in pleasure. “You made me too tired to walk, but in a more... horizontal position, I have no objections.” Padmé leaned into his touch, wriggling in delight. “Show me everything. I want to know, I want to learn…” She caught his hand, carefully moving it to the folds of her womanhood so he could stimulate them again.

“Teach me,” she whispered, almost reverently. “I’m ready now.”

Vader moaned as he kissed her lips slowly. “With what we did at the throne? I strongly believe I don’t have a lot to teach you,” he smiled against her mouth. “I do have some worshiping to do,” he kissed her collarbone. “Lay back. Let me worship you, your Majesty,” he whispered against her skin.

The callback to their honeymoon makes her giggle, but she accepts the kiss that comes with it happily. Along with every kiss that comes after it, and every touch, and everything that went with it.

When the sun came up the next morning, C-3PO found his master and mistress tangled up in the sheets and each other’s bodies, both of them smiling very happily as they slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, we denied you explicit smut for this chapter, and it was short, but you've been very patient and we'll reward you for it soon.


	27. Relaxation

Vader stopped in his tracks and groaned when Padmé crossed his path, face determined like she was going to handle another complicated Senate meeting and he knew Dara had been running her mouth to the Empress. For two women who didn’t get along, they were very friendly at the moment.

“You need to—”

“I’m fine,” he interrupted, not letting her finish her sentence. It was a lie. He was not in fact, _fine,_  far from it, actually. He hadn’t been able to sleep for _days_. When he did manage to close his eyes, he was assaulted by cruel nightmares of every kind, many of them involving the feeling of being swallowed by hot flames and a few others were of him being imprisoned inside of what he could only think was a droid. It drove him to leave their bed early than what he would have wanted, and get to work so he could distract himself.

Medication provided by his personal emdee, energetic concoctions from the kitchens and alcohol have been the ways he has found to keep himself upright. Granted, it was not the best of combinations, but it was getting him through his meetings with advisers, ambassadors, representatives, court and long battle strategies with his captains and apprentice.

“Liar. Even Emperors need to sleep, come on, get yourself into bed before I make you,” Padmé told him, grabbing him by the arm. “People are starting to worry, they are starting to question whether or not you can do this. And you _won’t_ be able to do this if you don’t get some sleep.”

Vader resisted, frowning. “Who’s questioning me? I have not missed a meeting or a commitment in the last few weeks, months even. No one has, or should have, any reason to complain about the work that I’m doing,” he stated, offended. “I don’t want to go to bed. I don’t need to sleep. I would rather not close my eyes, thank you,” he protested and shook himself free from her grip. “Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself, I’ve been doing it for the past sixteen years. I’m a grown man and I don’t need a nanny,” he scowled.

“Never mind who’s saying it, or questioning you, it’s technically true! You are running yourself into the ground, and whether or not you admit it, the truth is that the weight of the galaxy is too great a burden for one man to shoulder. Rest, or I’ll take drastic measures,” she warned, using her full body weight to pull him towards the bedroom they now shared. “Don’t make me play at being your mother.”

Vader glared at her, annoyed at her words. He let himself be dragged along because honestly, he was lacking the energies to fight his wife. To get her off his case, he would lay down for an hour or two, then get back to work. 

Inside their bedroom, he laid in the middle of their bed, head resting against the mountain of fluffy pillows she insisted on having. “I don’t want you to be my Mother, I want you to leave me alone and let me handle my own life,” he muttered, annoyed. Being stubborn was nothing if not his greatest skill. “I’ll sleep when I feel like it. My throne. My Empire. Everyone else can go _kriff_ themselves," Vader said petulantly, but his eyelids were getting heavy. He didn’t know why... Was it the comfort of the bed? The caring of a woman? His body finally giving up on fighting a lost cause?

“My husband,” she retorted, sitting beside him and tugging at a strap on the one of his boots that was nearer to her. “However much I may have hated you when we said our wedding vows, I mean them now, and I will stand by them. Right now, I’m honoring the part where I said I would care for you and tend to you in times of need.”

Giving up on struggling with the boots, she opted instead to hitch up her skirts and straddle him on the bed, leaning back slightly.  “Anakin, please, just try to sleep a little. For me?”

Faded yellow eyes shot her a look. It was a low blow to use his real name. Padmé knew she got him to do whatever she wanted when she handled him like this and he wished, in part, that he was able to resist her methods. But there were a lot of things on his mind and not just everyday problems. “I don’t need a nanny,” Vader repeated with a petulant tone. “But if that would get you to leave me alone, then I’ll see what I can do,” he sighed, too tired to argue.

“Sweet dreams, dear,” she laughed softly, kissing him fondly on the nose. “I’ll take care of business while you rest, don’t worry.” As she headed to the door, she looked at Threepio pointedly. “Don’t let him leave this room until he’s gotten some proper rest, do you hear me?”

“My Lady, I don’t—”

“I can give Artoo the job if you’re not up for it.” That left the protocol droid sputtering indignantly as the Empress headed back to the throne room.

Vader rolled his eyes at her attitude, but it didn’t make it any less endearing. He laughed gently as she threatened Threepio, the protocol droid very much offended that she would ever think that he would be anything less than professional and caring when it came to his Master.

Sighing, and knowing he couldn’t do much, the Sith Lord took off his boots and some of his clothing, staying only with his pants and undershirt. He grabbed a blanket and rearranged the pillows, choosing Padmé’s ones to lay his head on.

He knew he wasn’t going to fall asleep easily, so he just got comfortable and turned the HoloNet on. Not on news or any political channel that would fuel his itch to work. Vader then let some old holomovie play in the background and did his best to rest his mind.

“Please rest, Master Ani, you truly look terrible,” Threepio quipped from his corner.

Vader huffed. “Thank you, Threepio,” Artoo beeped in agreement. “You’re overreacting. I don’t like the dead. Have you seen a dead person?”

“Master Ani, can I do anything for you?”

“I’m fine, Threepio, I promise,” he nods.

With the holomovie playing in a low volume and the quiet silence of the room, Vader eventually drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 

The gathered assembly in the throne room fell silent as Padmé arrived, but the whispers started up again as soon as they realized she was not Vader. Ignoring them, she strode straight up to the daïs and sat— not in her own throne, but in Vader's. The resulting hush that fell over the crowd was deafening, broken solely by her speaking. “The Emperor has entrusted this afternoon’s session of court hearings to me. Now, shall we resume?” 

Holding court was actually a lot more exhausting a process than Padmé had expected, it was no wonder An— Vader was so exhausted these days. She found that petitioners started to blur together after the first five or so, but she managed to deal with each of them fairly. The very last visit of the day caught her attention more than the others, a pyrotechnic worker.

“I just wanted to know if my company should be expecting an order this year, Your Ladyship. The late Emperor commissioned displays from us every year for his birthday celebrations.”

“I remember, they were always quite impressive,” she told him earnestly, knowing that those impressive displays had been both a means of distracting the people from real problems at hand and were extravagant to the point of excess.

“Thank you, milady. In any case, we wanted to know if his Majesty, Emperor Vader, wants the same kind of thing and when we should have it ready.”

“Oh. Well…” Padmé hesitated. She didn’t even  _know_ when her husband’s birthday was, she couldn’t give the poor man a clear answer. “I will discuss the matter with my husband, and we will have a message sent back to you with the appropriate information once we’ve made a decision. Thank you for coming to us.” She stood, brushing down her dress. “We’ll adjourn for today.”

Without any further ceremony, she returned to where she’d left her husband and found him dozing on the bed, arms tightly curled around one of the pillows. It seemed a shame to wake him.

“It took a while, Mistress Padmé, but finally he fell asleep,” Threepio informed Padmé, looking pleased. “If I may be so bold, Mistress Padmé, I am very happy to see Master Ani has found someone to look after him,” then the droid looks like his circuits got a jolt. “I meant Master Vader, of course. Will you need me for anything else?”

“Well, I suppose you could probably tell me just as easily as he could,” Padmé admitted, shifting on the bed as she removed her shoes. “You do know when his birthday is, don’t you?”

“Why of course I do, my Lady, what kind of droid would I be if I did not know my own maker’s birthday—”

“Threepio, the date,” Padmé interrupted. “When is it?”

“Three weeks and two days from now, Mistress Padmé.”

 _And he didn’t tell me!_ Padmé had to fight an indignant huff as she lay down beside her husband, running her fingers through his hair. “I see. Please send a message to the Imperial Center Fireworks Guild and let them know that we will not be commissioning a display for the Emperor’s birthday, but that we would like one for our next wedding anniversary.”

“Certainly, My Lady,” Threepio nodded. “If I may, what will be done for Master Vader’s birthday, now that he’s the Emperor?” He asked, curious. “There’s no tradition, given that we have never celebrated it in sixteen years. His poor mother would be  _horrified_ , she was always so worried about what to make for his birthday,” the droid said, sounding offended.

Meanwhile, Vader stirred, feeling the caress of her fingers. He mumbled something incoherent and searched for her warmth, laying one of his hands on her hip. He snuggled deeper into the pillow, the rest of the tension in his muscles disappearing as she kept running her fingers through his locks.

Sixteen years. What a horribly long time to go without any kind of celebration or acknowledgment of being cared about. “I’d like you to go through your memory banks and find anything he might consider comforting or special," Padmé told Threepio. "He and I will be having a private dinner together, no big fuss or celebrations. I don’t get the feeling that’s what he would want.”

“Are you certain, my Lady? It is somewhat customary to make it a galactic holiday—”

“That should be his decision. What I’m doing is a wife planning a surprise for her husband. The fact that we’re the Emperor and Empress has nothing to do with it. Go on, Threepio, I’ll stay with him.”

Loosening the laces of her dress, she snuggled closer to her husband. “Oh, and have some dinner sent up here for us, just in case he wakes up and gets hungry, please.”

Vader woke up a few hours later. He found himself snuggled closer to his wife. His head on her stomach and his arms around her waist. Frowning, he raised his head and looked around, before sitting up in bed and dropping a kiss on her forehead. “How long was I asleep? I’m starving.”

With one hand, Padmé reached over to grab a few slices of shuura fruit and popped one in her mouth. “You were out cold. Slept through the entire afternoon court session, and that ended...” She paused to check the chrono on the wall. “Five hours ago. But I do not blame you at all, they really are monotonous. And as you can see, I took care of the food situation.”

Turning, Vader saw the tray of food was there and looked down at his wife, smiling. “Thank you,” he leaned towards her, kissing the corner of her lips, before hiding his face on her neck. “For caring,” he mumbled, even if the words were strained. He was still getting used to speaking about his feelings or about gratitude.

“You’re welcome,” she said, smiling warmly back as she gladly accepted every one of his kisses. “Don’t you ever be afraid to confide in and depend on me, that’s what marriage is for.”

Frowning at her words, he took one of the uneaten pieces of fruit and slowly ate it, thinking about them. “I don’t know how to do that. It’s not because of you, or because it _is_ you. I just don’t confide in people. I don’t depend on anyone. The fact that you care for me, it surprises me sometimes, and I’m often not in the right mind and I tend to answer with a hot head.”

He finished the slices of shuura fruit and leaned over his wife to get a hold of the glass of juice. Vader sipped on the tasty liquid, before speaking again. “You’ll get used to court. Eventually, the important things are handled and you are free to let your mind roam to other important things,” he shrugged. “It is tiring, though,” he smiled. “Thanks for going today. I don’t know what I would have done if I had gone. I was so fed up with everyone, I would have to jump to aggressive negotiations,” he stressed.

“We certainly can’t have that,” she said, giving a slightly nervous laugh as she tried to think about how best to broach the subject. “One of the fireworks technicians who used to work for Sidious— doing those ridiculous displays on his birthdays, remember?— Anyway, I told Threepio to send them a commission for our next anniversary, I think it would be much more fitting than that dreary portrait Sidious had made last year.”

”Yes, please, no more portraits,” Vader chuckled. “Not that I don’t like the one we have, it’s just…” he frowned. “It’s what it means.” He shrugged, hoping that she doesn’t make him talk. The portrait reminded him of a harder time, a time where their life was complicated and more painful than anything else. “I think we deserve our own fireworks, you had a good idea,” he nodded with a smile.

Padmé watched him carefully until she felt certain that their conversation was innocent enough that it could give her a way in, a way to figure out what she was going to plan in the next few weeks. “Public celebrations aside… is there anything you might like in the more private aspects of an anniversary of _any_ kind? Some kind of gift I could give you, maybe?”

Vader bit the inside of his cheek. “Not really, no, I don’t have a lot of ideas when it comes to that.” He hadn’t celebrated his birthday since he got to the Palace, so eventually, he’d forgotten about it. He knew it was in a few weeks, but out of habit, he hadn’t planned on doing anything. Before, with his Mother, it was always something small. She would manage the necessary ingredients for a small cake and would always make his favorite. After he got to the Palace…Threepio was the only one to ever remember. “But if you do want to make anything special on our anniversary, you just have to ask.”

Realizing he was still dressed, he got up from the bed and started to undress, so he could switch into his pajama pants and just slide into bed with his wife and rest for the night.

“I’ll let you know, we do have a few months until it comes around,” she promised, sitting up to remove her own dress and switch it out for a nightgown. “But I’ll tell you now that I don’t want fireworks on _my_ birthday either. Not really to my tastes.”

Reaching into the crick of her neck, she found that the clasp of her necklace had broken and the chain had bunched into her shoulder. “Oh, dear,” she remarked, setting it down on her vanity. “That’ll have to be sent to the jeweler to get fixed.”

With her clothes changed, she returned to the bed, taking the moment to turn up the heating slightly before she burrowed into the covers. “If you want me to, I’ll give everyone the day off tomorrow. Including us. You can sleep in that way.”

Vader sighed contently as he snuggled under the covers. His fading yellow eyes focusing on Padmé’s movement, while he nodded at her suggestion. “I think that will be a good idea. We have all been under so much pressure lately, we all deserve a little break. Not having to hold court tomorrow will be a gift,” he sighs and pulls her closer to his body, on arm slipping around her waist.

He kisses her cheek sweetly, before pecking her lips. “You’re amazing,” he breathes. “We should go out tomorrow, what do you say? I think the last time we went out in public, for fun, it was our shopping trip with the girls. We can go out for lunch at your favorite restaurant and then we could take a leisurely walk around Coruscant. What do you say?”

“I’d say hold on a moment,” she told him, grabbing her datapad so that she could send the message that both court hearings and the Senate sessions for tomorrow were to be delayed by one standard day. “ _Now_ you have me all to yourself,” she announced, rolling around in his arms so that they were better nestled together in the bed.

“And to answer your question, I think that sounds very tempting. We could do with some time out of the palace, it can get really suffocating at times." Padmé bit her lip, a new thought coming to mind. "You know, I honestly think the entire palace could do with some extensive remodeling. Something that would make it more ours and a little less… his. We’ll just have to check the state of the treasury at the end of the fiscal year.”

“Remodeling would be a good idea and a good way to lift the spirits of everyone. I agree and I’ll leave it all in your very capable hands, sweetheart,” Vader nodded, kissing her cheek softly. “Padmé, I’ve inherited everything that was from Sidious. We can use those credits to remodel the Palace, what do you say?” he suggested. It was not like he had plans for the money or assets he had inherited directly from Palpatine. “I think we can start by moving to a different wing, you know? New chambers, new… everything. We need that.”

“We’ll talk about it more thoroughly in the morning, but I think it’ll be for the best if we keep the guest wing. Unless you’re suggesting we should build a completely new wing first.” Padmé reached down and squeezed one of his hands. “Right now, let’s get some sleep. If today was any indication, you need it.”

Snuggling a little closer, she switched off the lights and smiled up at him once more. “Good night.”

Vader thought he could fall asleep again and for the first time in a few days, sleep like a normal person. However, in the middle of the night, he started to feel himself suffocating. His body was hot, it felt like he was being burned and there were horrible flashes of flames and lava and… babies crying, someone shouting, his pregnant wife, dead on the floor and then he couldn’t breathe and everything hurt and he just… bolted up in bed, a layer of sweat covered his body as his breaths were short and ragged. Pushing the covers to the side, he stood up and went to the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face.

He tried to regain control of his breathing. It was like he had run a marathon. The nightmares were more frequent now that he had let go of the darkest side of him, that he had… stripped himself from being a Sith. He had chosen to be a neutral part of the Force. A balance. That was what the prophecy wanted. The balance of the Force. Someone to yield both sides.

Raising his head and staring at the mirror, he gasped, shocked. His eyes…they weren’t yellow anymore. They were… blue. Completely.

Jostled awake by his movements, Padmé sat up, rubbing the drowsiness from her eyes. “Is everything okay?” she asked sleepily, moving to get out of bed and follow him. “Usually I’m the one giving you bruises, not the other way around.” It was a rather poor attempt at humor, but she was genuinely concerned about him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she rubbed his back gently.

“It _was_ only a nightmare, wasn’t it?” Of course, she knew what people who knew how to use the Force were able to do. Reading minds, moving things without touching them... and how some Jedi even knew how to see the future.

Vader shook his head, momentarily closing his eyes when she entered the bathroom. Her hand on his shoulder and backed soothed his tense muscles. “It was, yes,” he whispered. “They’re frequent. They’re…I mean, I’m used to it, don’t worry,” he turned around slowly and rubbed his eyes, before blinking up at her. “I’m going to be alright,” Vader wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. “You’re here, aren’t you?” He lifted his shoulders, a small smile on his lips.

“I am,” she promised, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “This is why you need to sleep more, you know. The stress is wreaking havoc on your body. Get back into bed, I’ll send for a little blue milk to help calm you down.”

He smiled at the small gesture and nodded. _She would have been a great Mom_ , Vader thought with a pang. “I’m not saying no to that,” he sighs and released her, heading back to the bedroom. “It will pass, this is just…a lot. Everything is…a lot,” he climbed back into bed. “I feel myself changing while trying to balance the Empire and be a good Emperor, I just don’t want to fail.”

“I know.” She smiled kindly at him as she went to get her datapad. It wasn’t until she had it in hand and was sending the order that she realized there was a change in him. “Are you sure you’re alright? You look... different, somehow, I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I know it’s there.”

“Well, I don’t know,” Vader smiled and pulled her down on top of him. “Maybe you need to look closer, your Highness,” he breathes, kissing her jawline, before kissing the tip of her nose. His eyes twinkled as he pulled back. “I’m sure if there is something different about me, who else could figure out if not my beautiful and smart wife, hm?”

“Flatterer,” she laughed, grabbing a pillow and smacking him with it just in time for the server droid to arrive with the blue milk. “Drink and go to bed before I start wondering what it is I see in you besides you being annoyingly attractive.”

“I try,” he laughed as he grabbed the pillow and put it behind his back. “Annoyingly attractive?” He grins as he leans back on the pillows. “What are my most annoyingly attractive features?” Vader accepted the blue milk and took a long sip, licking the mustache it left on his lips.

“Nice try, but I’m not telling you that easily,” she warned, rolling her eyes. “We’ll pick this up tomorrow, my lord. Right now, you’re going to sleep.” Leaning in, she kissed the tip of his nose and wiped away the milk. “Good night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to see the portrait, the link is [here](http://beautifulkindbutsad.tumblr.com/post/153882529322/portrait-of-imperial-crown-prince-darth-vader)!


	28. Celebration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is not safe for work, and is probably the most explicit we're going to get. Enjoy!

The next few weeks felt more than a little like a game, coordinating their usual duties along with packing up their belongings and moving to the guest wing before the contractors and architects set to work on remodeling their private quarters first.

On the morning of her husband’s birthday, Padmé had set herself up in his temporary office, sitting on the desk in an ensemble she’d commissioned especially for the occasion. The frock consisted solely of thin white silk strategically wrapped around her body and left fluttering in strips about her legs and an intricately crafted web of metal chains and beads decorating the entire upper half of her body. Her hair, she’d left loose around her shoulders, held only in place by a matching beaded circlet. It had been insanely cumbersome to get into, but she had a feeling it would be worth it when Threepio arrived with her husband.

“I don’t get it, Threepio, what is so important that I have to miss my morning meetings with the advisers?” Vader sighed impatiently, as he followed the protocol droid towards the temporary office he had set up until the renovations to his permanent one were finished.

“This is much more important, Master Ani, I believe you will see the meaning behind my words once we arrive at our destination,” Threepio replied.

Vader rolled his eyes but kept quiet until they reached the door. It slid open and as he entered, his jaw dropped. “Oh, my…” There it was. His wife, sitting at his desk, wearing a white, intricate dress that made his blood pressure rise and his pupils dilate.

“See, Master Ani, this…”

“Out, Threepio, now,” Vader ordered, unable to remove his gaze from… from the _Angel_ on top of his desk. Threepio turned around and left. He knew what was about to happen and he didn’t want his memory wiped again. Too many of those were frying his circuits. “You’re… you’re an Angel, you must be,” he shook his head, trying to get rid of the shock. “What did I do to deserve this?” He wondered out loud as he took in every detail.

“You didn’t do anything.” Padmé uncrossed her legs just long enough for him to see that she wasn’t wearing any kind of underwear beneath her dress. “But Threepio told me today was your birthday, and while fireworks weren’t something you wanted, I couldn’t let the occasion pass without some celebration.”

After she uncrossed her legs and he got a glimpse of what the sheer material hid, he nearly groaned, until her words hit him. _Oh. Right._ “It’s my birthday,” he said sounding like it was a sudden realization. After so many years ignoring the date, he'd forgotten it. Vader had never celebrated it after his Mother’s death, so to have someone one other than Threepio know the date, it made something inside of him stir.

Just by looking at his face, Padmé could tell this was already shaping up to be better than their little adventure on the throne. “Remember that little dream you sent me before our marriage?” she cooed, beckoning him closer. “I know the venue’s a little different, but I think we can make it work, don’t you?”

“The one I would take you against the window, yes,” Vader smirked, moving closer. “Well, Angel, I think we can work something out,” he whispered before claiming her lips in a deep, breathtaking kiss, His hands traveled up her legs, underneath the fabric. Breaking the kiss for a moment, he smiled looking down at the Angel in his arms. He loved her. He was in love with her. A quiet gasp left his lips as the truth he had been fighting with finally won. “Happy birthday to me.”

“And many more to come,” she promised, running her fingers through his hair as she returned the kisses. “One for every birthday that Sidious ruined, and then countless more for good measure.”

Her hands slid down his chest, pulling open the collar of his shirt so that she could nibble at his neck playfully. “It took me nearly two hours to get into this dress,” she whispered. “How much time do you think you need to get me out of it?”

Vader moaned at her seduction technique as his hands ran over the dress and the little beads. He wouldn’t have the patience to undo it like a gentleman. Screw that. He wanted his wife. Now. On the desk, against the window and probably again on the floor! “I don’t know, how long do you think it will take me to rip it off of your body?”

Tugging on her hair, without it being too rough, he pulled her head back so he could lavish her neck with open mouthed kisses and little nips that were certain to leave a mark. If this was how they were going to start celebrating his birthdays, he had nothing against it. “Then, after I take it off of you, I am going to worship your body like a Goddess…” he placed his lips at her ear. “You remember my promise, right?” Claiming her lips again, his hands turning into fists at the material on her back and he ripped it open, beads jumping everywhere. “I will replace it, Angel, don’t worry,” he cooed breaking the kiss, but not giving enough time to catch her breath, picking her up and turning them around, he pressed her against the glass. “I think you will need me to carry you to the bedroom later, like I did after our stunt at the throne,” he chuckled darkly.

“I don’t need another dress,” she laughed, taking a little delight in the absolute carnage of the unwieldy gown, and shivering at the nickname. There was something in the way he said it that made her weak in the knees, enough that she locked her legs around his waist for stability. “And of course I remember.” Her hands pressed against the window, leaving prints on the transparisteel. “Turn that prediction into another promise, and I might just be the most satisfied woman in the galaxy. Although... I did have another outfit in mind for later tonight during a private dinner. One that’s equally easy to tear after a few glasses of vintage blossom wine from Naboo that’s just as old as you are.”

The only thing better than him telling her what he planned was seeing his reaction when she told him what she was planning for him. Aside from actually carrying out those plans, obviously. “What do you say, your majesty? How does it sound to you?”

“That sounds like my wife has been planning this for awhile,” he chuckled, kissing down her chest, his hands were everywhere. “Let me reward you for all the effort and keep my two promises,” he grinned.

* * *

Laying down on his dark cloak, he supported his head on his hand, lying on his side, staring down at his enticing wife. “What’s the verdict? Do you need to be carried?” Vader bit his lower lip. “But I have to say that, if you say there’s another dress for me to tear…you better keep some libido awake for later.”

“Give me the time to take a bath and I think I’ll be just fine for tonight,” Padmé said with a giggle, shaking her hair free of any beads that might have caught in the strands during the third round of birthday sex on the floor. A few gems clicked as they fell away, but she didn’t mind. “But in response to your first question, yes, I need to be carried. And I like being carried. I feel safe in your arms.”

Her hand slipped up to his neck, her thumb running affectionately along his cheek. “Happy birthday, Anakin,” she said again, leaning in for another kiss.

“Best birthday ever,” he whispered against her lips, kissing her soundly. “Now, far from me to keep you from the bath that’ll get you ready for tonight. Maybe I could share it with you?” He wiggled his eyebrows as he searched for his pants to put them on. “I’m pretty sure all of my meetings today have been adjourned?” Vader guessed standing. “You can wear my robe,” he winked. “Looks cute on you.”

“Every single one,” she confirmed with a grin as she found the robe and pulled it around her body. Then she held out her arms expectantly so that he could pick her up. “You promised. Carrying. Or maybe I’ll change my mind and there shall be no dessert.” It was, of course, an empty threat, but she liked teasing him. She liked the results.

Vader laughed. “I wouldn’t dare break my promised,” he said as he bent down to pick her up bridal style. “Shall we, my lady?” He whispered as he pecked her lips.

The halls were empty until they arrived at their temporary chambers. He set her down on her feet inside the fresher and he started the water of their bathtub. “I think I’ll join you,” he said cheekily. “I promise to behave so I can have my dessert!”

Padmé laughed, twisting up her hair as the water started running. “Mmm… And I could work some of those knots I know you still have in your shoulders. Do you _ever_ relax if I don’t tell you?”

Without waiting for an answer, she dropped the borrowed robe and stepped into the tub, shivering a little at the clashing temperatures. “Let me see, let me see…” She took a crystal bottle filled with oil and let its scent waft free, a delicate balance of millaflowers, Rominaria and ryoo, all scents of Naboo. “Perfect.” She tipped the bottle, letting the mixture trickle down the curves of her body, and smiled at Vader. “Aren’t you coming in?”

“You’re the only one who can make me relax,” Vader replied and leaned against the doorway watching her. Simply watching her, completely captivated and in love. He bit his lower lip, eyes roaming from her head to her toes and then he was brought back to real life at her question. Nodding, he undressed. Slowly. Very slowly.

With a cheeky grin, he entered the tub and relaxed against her. He hummed in content, her scent all over him and at that moment, if he died, he didn’t mind. Vader was happy. happier than he ever been. Taking her hand to his mouth, he kissed her palm. “We should go to Naboo together,” he said. “Spend time with your family, like we promised your nieces. Your sister must be delivering soon and I’m sure you will want to know your new nephew or niece,” Vader spoke gently. “Your parents miss you. I know you miss Naboo. It will be good.”

“I would love that,” she confessed, smiling at him warmly. “And I can finally show you the family villa while we’re there... the lake, and the waterfalls, and the meadows... it’s the most beautiful place in the galaxy, and I’m not just saying that because it’s my home.”

She was thinking of the dreams he’d sent her before their marriage. The vision of the palace gardens could never be now, not when those gardens belonged to Cordé. To disturb them would be to disturb their little one’s spirit, but maybe... she knew a spot in the meadow very like it. “If you look in my mind now, you might get some inspiration for when my birthday comes around,” she teased him as her fingers started rubbing the oil over his shoulders and kneading the tenseness away. “I fully expect you to outdo me.”

Vader smiled as he makes a mental note to start planning for her birthday. “I will raise the bar even higher than you today, Milady,” he grinned as he now searched for her lips and claimed them. “Naboo is probably much more welcoming than my home planet,” Vader muttered as he turned his head slightly, to kiss her chin. He knew he barely spoke about his past and she was always looking for the little crumbs he let her have. “Tatooine is the opposite of Naboo. It’s rough, hot and merciless. Did I tell you I hate sand?” He frowned as he relaxed against her, feeling the tension slip away from his body, and dissipating into the water. “I do and it’s because of that sand ball,” he grumbles.

“We never have to talk about Tatooine or go back, it’s been terrible to both of us,” she reminded him gently in between kisses. “But it’s behind us now. Things are going to be better. That’s what today is about, what every day is going to be about.”

The water rippled as she turned in the bath so that she could be above him. “Lean back,” she instructed, running a wet hand through his hair. “I’m going to take care of you, wash away everything that doesn’t matter... That way, you’ll have a completely cleansed palate for dessert.”

He smiled, accepting her offer wordlessly. Their bath time ended too soon, and Padmé was whisked away by her handmaidens to get dressed for dinner, leaving him to get dressed as well. They could try something different tonight. It had been an enlightening day. Instead of the black colors that he usually wore, Vader chose a sapphire blue shirt for their dinner, with casual black pants and a black jacket, leaving his heavy, dark robe behind. He wouldn’t need it. It made him look more casual. Perhaps, more common and human.

Vader had come to realize he trusted her with everything that was his. Not only his Empire, but himself as well, and if one time she had told him her deepest desire, he would tell her his now and it would be his thanks for today.

“Master Ani, dinner is ready,” Threepio announced. “Mistress Padmé is almost prepared.”

“Thank you, Threepio, I’ll head down to the dining hall in a minute.”

Taking one look in the mirror, he nodded, sure of what he wanted.

* * *

 

‘Dessert’ was Padmé’s hair twisted up in a sleek knot so that it wouldn’t be possible for Vader to miss a single inch of her second dress. It was a silk garment the exact color of her skin with a long slit to reveal her left leg and was held up solely by an intricate net of golden threads laid with pale white gemstones, which trailed all the way down to the floor and carefully decorate her shoulders while leaving most of her shoulders and back uncovered. Without bothering to add jewelry or shoes to the ensemble, she headed down to the dining hall and carefully arranged herself in the center of the table so that her skirts fanned out around her in the most flattering way possible.

And she waited for him to arrive.

Vader stopped in his tracks as he entered the dining hall. He shouldn’t have been surprised by his wife’s ideas anymore, but he was. She was delightful in that nude dress. Taking his eyes off of her wasn’t an option. She was all skin and silk and he fell prey to her spell.

“I never knew having a birthday could be so…” he chewed on his lower lip as he approached the table, eyed her hungrily. “Well celebrated,” he raised his hand and trailed a ghost touch from the top of her exposed thigh to the back of her knee. “This beats cake, fireworks and materialistic presents every day,” he grinned, leaning over the table to be able to kiss her. “Remember when I promised you that...if I had one...I would tell you my fantasy?” Vader whispered against her lips.

“I remember,” she murmured huskily, leaning forward and tangling her fingers in his hair. “Is there more you want me to do? It's your birthday, I won't deny you anything.”

Vader nuzzled her neck and dropped feather-light kisses on her skin. What he was about to say was proof of the amount of trust he had in her. He hoped she would understand that. Understand that he trusted her with his government and with himself, something that he has never done before.

“What if... I let you have all the control over our night?” He said, as a suggestion, pulling back to look directly at her big brown eyes. “You can make all of the decisions, I’ll do anything you want. You’re the Queen and I’ll have to obey you,” he whispered against her mouth.

Padmé faltered a little bit at the suggestion. “I— You would trust me like that?” She thought he would have  _hated_ such a thing, that he would never want to obey anyone again, after a lifetime of being a slave, first on Tatooine, then to Sidious. “I-I don’t know if I can, it’s…”

The woman she had been when they’d first married would have immediately taken him at his word and told him to dissolve the Empire, restore the Republic and let her leave him. Now, she didn’t even know what she wanted to ask him.

“I don’t know what to do,” she confessed, giggling in the embarrassment of that truth. “I don’t know what I would want to make you do.”

Vader chuckled. “I trust you. I know you won’t hurt me,” he explained. He smiled at her embarrassment. “You’re such an Angel,” he mumbled, kissing her chin. “Wouldn’t you like to take control? Over me?” He challenged. “Over our... sex life?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “There must be a Queen inside that wants to rule,” Vader whispered quietly.

Any words she might have had abandoned her. She was completely at a loss, but she _wanted_ to make this birthday good for him, make it memorable. “Sit down then,” she ordered softly. “Sit down and put your hands behind the back of your chair.”

Carefully, she reached down and tore away a long strip of her dress from the hemline, widening her legs so that she was effectively straddling the table as she leaned into him so that she could reach around and tie his hands in place with the torn fabric. “Don’t cheat. You stay like that until I tell you.”

He did as he was told, not breaking eye contact. Vader suppressed an amused smile as she tied his hands behind the back of his chair. He nodded, knowing she was referring to his Force abilities. “I promise. I will only move when you tell me to,” he smirked, the anticipation of what she was thinking building inside of him. Vader was aware he had sprung this on her and she had no time to prepare anything in specific, but he knew his wife. He knew she was able to think on her feet. Besides...he was a sucker for her bossy attitude. Vader hoped one day his wife would realize the true power she held. She had the Emperor eating from the palm of her hand. He could admit he was ready to give her whatever she wanted.

That was what love was all about, he guessed.

Padmé looked at him, bound and at her mercy, and realized she had no idea what she was supposed to do next. This was completely out of her depth, tying him up had just been the first idea that had popped into her head. Swallowing back her fear, she tore another strip from the dress, this time creating a slit on the other side of her skirt, and wound it around his eyes.

“Do you know why I am doing this to you, Vader?” she asked, her voice taking on the harder, more authoritarian tones she used when the Senate got unruly as she tried to create some kind of a persona like she had that day in the throne room.

“Anakin, my Lady,” he said, before actually thinking about her question. It felt wrong, in that moment, for her to call him Vader. Unless she truly insisted, otherwise he didn’t mind if she used his real name. Bound and blind, he shifted in his seat. Yes, he gave her the complete control and he trusted her. It was a reflex now. “And no, my Lady, I do not,” he loved her authoritarian voice. He bit his lower lip. “I believe you will tell me?” He prompted.

“You don’t fool me. I know you’re Darth Vader,” she said, refusing to break the illusion of the game. “The most powerful man in the galaxy, and yet you’re helpless before me, aren’t you?” Her hands slipped down to his neck, pushing open the collar of his shirt. Carefully, she located his jugular, pressing her thumb against it. “Give me one reason not to just kill you here and take your Empire for myself.”

She sincerely hoped she was doing this right. _Tell me to stop if I’m doing this wrong, I don’t want to hurt you…_

 _Hmm,_ for a moment, panic rose in his throat but he pushed it down. _She’s playing a game. Like that night, at the throne room._ At least, his rational side was in control. Had his temper been in control of his actions, this whole charade would be over in a second. Vader was getting better at handling himself and his emotions. In part, because of her. “You’re not looking for power, my Lady, if anything, you want the man holding the power,” he licked his lips, extremely aware of her thumb near his jugular. “Or am I wrong about you? Have you wanted the Empire for yourself all along?” His fists struggled against the restraint and he forced himself to stop. Years of military training were telling him to flee, it was his first instinct. “But I am at your mercy. Whatever will you do?” He teased.

“I will hear you beg. I will hear you convince me, and worship me,” she whispered, echoing the words from their honeymoon once more as she leaned in and bit at his earlobe softly. “Because you might be wrong. Perhaps I want both the man _and_ the power.”

She ripped off his jacket, leaving the shirt untouched as she kissed the spot on his neck where her thumb had been. The combined pressure of one followed immediately by the other left a dark bruise blossoming beneath his bronzed skin. “Will you surrender? Or do we have to get into _my_ aggressive negotiations?”

It should be wrong for a man like him to feel this aroused at being controlled by a woman but he didn’t care. It was good. Not to be in control for once. Not to have that concern. He trusted her and that felt...refreshing. “Both? That’s ambitious,” his whisper was followed by a hiss of pleasure. “I’m bound and blind, but won’t surrender. I’m far too curious about _your_ aggressive negotiations.”

“I’m an ambitious woman,” she retorted, her teeth scraping against his skin as her hands undid his shirt further. “And I think you like that about me, don’t you? You like a woman with drive, who knows what she wants, who fights for it. I like the same thing. So why don’t you show me what you want, Vader? Don’t speak, just show me. And maybe then, I’ll take the blindfold off and give you a little treat.”

Although he was temporarily unable to use his sight, he was still hypersensitive to her presence and the Force present in his body helped guide his movements. Turning his head to the side, he captured her lips in a bruising kiss. What he wanted was her! Everything was about her, _for her._ If she had the smallest idea of the changes she had done to him... he kissed her with everything. Putting into words what he felt, what he admitted to himself, was impossible at the moment. So he used actions, he used gestures. Pouring a lot of unsaid feelings into the kiss was all he could do at the moment.

Breaking the kiss, he was breathless. “Was that enough, my Lady? I can’t do much with my hands tied,” he smirked. “I believe you promised me a treat?”

“Nice try, but I’m not releasing you that easily. I can think of a few things you’d do with your hands that I don’t want you doing. Not yet, at least.” Padmé countered, reaching up to undo the blindfold very slowly. She pressed a tender kiss to the scar at his eye. “But since you did do as told, I suppose I can indulge you.”

Climbing up on the table, she slowly ripped the dress again, bending in such a way that her legs were fully exposed for him to see. “Imagine if _you_ were doing this. You could be holding me, tearing far more than just the skirts. But alas, Lord Vader, I don’t know if I can trust you that much. How I wish it were otherwise.”

His blue eyes darkened at the sight and he licked his lips, his body shifting in the chair, wrists struggling as he tried to remind himself not to release himself. It would ruin the purpose of the game, no matter how hot he was burning.

“You shouldn’t trust me, the things I would do to you would leave you unable to walk for the next day or two,” he said huskily, eyes devouring her legs. “Is this my treat? Torturing me with your delicious sight?”

“Oh, no, this is just a prelude.” With a careful fluidity, she down slid off the table to sit on his lap, one of her hands slipping past the waist of his pants. Using her other hand to cradle his head closer as she kissed him, she carefully started tracing his length with her fingertips, feeling it stiffen and swell beneath her touch. “Don’t you even think about spilling without my permission.”

The hand on his neck reached around to undo one of his tied hands, but she kept a firm grip on the fabric, twisting it around her wrist so that their hands were almost bound together. “How badly do you want your release, Lord Vader?”

Vader groaned deeply in his throat as he felt her caress along his now throbbing erection. Her order only served to fuel his desire and his need. His hips rocked against her touch as he gasped. “Badly, my Lady,” he whispered as he brushed his lips against her jaw line and then lower, against her throat. Finding her pulse point was easy. Vader kissed her skin there, lightly first, before nipping and sucking, marking her just as she had done to him earlier.

She abandoned any pretense of the game, ripping open his pants and using their joined hands to pull aside her skirts and stimulate her womanhood just enough that her walls were slick before aligning their bodies. “Take me then. If you think you can handle me.”

And without another moment’s hesitation, she took him into herself, eliminating any semblance of distance between them with every inch. “ _Vader_ ,” she whispered almost savagely, “ _you’re mine now._ ”

“Always,” he vowed as his now free hands found her hips and started to guide her movements, up and down his body. “ _Always_ ,” Vader repeated, lips against her ear as his movements became wilder. His mouth found hers and one of his hands came up to hold her head. He was unable to tell her he loved her. At least now. What he could try to do, was show her.

“ _Cum for me_ ,” she commanded, deepening the kiss further as she rocked back and forth on his lap, riding the force of his thrusts with ease. “ _Fill me up, mark me, be mine always._ ” She could feel her own release building, getting dangerously close, she wanted desperately for them to climax in unison, for this moment to be perfect.

Vader dug his fingers into her flesh, knowing it would show as bruises the following morning and he didn’t care much. It was her request, her demand. To be marked, to be his and for him to be hers. Well, he was. They were in perfect synchronization. His thrusts, her movements.  Her command was his undoing, and he felt his release overpowering every sense, running through every muscle of his body. With a few strong thrusts, he spilled himself inside of her, moaning her name over and over again, against the skin of her neck.

She rode the wave of his climax into her own with a shout of exhilarated delight. Just what she’d hoped for. “Happy birthday,” she murmured, nuzzling at the bruises she’d left on him before nibbling at the skin to create a few more little marks. “Did you enjoy dessert?”

Vader nodded against her shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around her waist. “Very much so, thank you,” he kissed the curve of her neck until he found her lips and pecked them softly. “You’re amazing,” Vader smiled. “Thank you for today. For celebrating my birthday with me. I admit, you’ve raised the bar high for your birthday but I’ll try to be just as surprising,” he kissed her cheeks, her eyelids and then joined their foreheads. _I love you_ was on the tip of his tongue but he couldn’t make out the words.

“Don’t worry about that now,” she scolded fondly, kissing his cheek. “I’m sure it’ll be wonderful no matter what.”

There was probably something else he should have said, but she could not, for the life of her, figure out what it was, so she just settled for kissing him again as a rather embarrassed Threepio delivered their actual dinner and dessert.


	29. Reunion

“Force has no place where there is need of skill.”

Vader laughed gently. “You sound very wise, sweetheart,” he mumbled, completely relaxed and he knew his wife had a great idea. They’d been soaking in the bath together for more than an hour this morning, and it was one of the best times they’d ever had, one that was getting oddly philosophical for once. “I didn’t know what to expect. I was so focused on taking down Palpatine and becoming the Emperor, that I did not think about being the Emperor. I guess being The Chosen One comes with a few limitations, the Force doesn’t know it all,” he kissed the top of her wet head. “Even so, I think I am doing a good job. The crime rate is lower than last year. The Rebels conflicts have gone down by thirty percent. This is only the beginning. Of course, I have to admit that, putting you in charge of the Senate has helped.”

“Say it. Say “ _Padmé, I’m an idiot, and I’d be lost without you,_ ’” she said smugly, running her hands on the edges of the tub as she leaned against him and the warm water lapped against their bodies. “If you say it, I might just turn around and things will get dirty enough that we’ll need to take another bath.”

Vader smiled against her cheek. He brought his lips to her ear and whispered, “Padmé, I’m an idiot and I’d be lost without you.” He kissed below her ear and sighed. “I am not only saying this because I want you to turn around and do unspeakable things to me,” his whole body shook with laughter. “But it speaks the truth.”

Padmé giggled, cupping her hands as she turned and splashed him directly in the face before claiming his mouth with hers. “You’re very good at kissing in more ways than one.” Her hands slipped down, tracing the sculpted creases along his abdomen to the little nest of dark blond curls between his legs. “And I’m good at handling you in more ways than one.”

First, he faked a gasp at the water attack before he gladly let her take control, kissing her back with as much passion and ardor he had. “That I am,” his eyes twinkled mischievously. Vader bit back a groan as her hands went lower on his body. “That you are, Angel,” he whispered, one hand on the small of her back, he pushed her forward so he could claim her mouth hungrily.

He never thought they could get to this point. Happy. Together. Making each other happy. Padmé definitely made him a better person. Better than he thought he could ever be. This was more than he expected to get, after everything they went through. This was enough. What they needed to survive, together.

Her giggles turned to full laughter that shook her body and caused ripples in the water. “You can’t keep kissing me, silly, or else I’m never going to get anything done.” With the palace remodeling well underway, the places they had available for ‘affairs of state,’ as it was coming to be known among the Imperial staff, weren’t enough. This morning’s bath was a much-needed relief from the added stresses, and right now she just wanted to—

“Your Majesties?”

“Ugggggh, Threepio!” Padmé whined, sitting straight up and staring at the door as the protocol droid hobbled in. “What could possibly be so important that you had to interrupt us?”

“I am terribly sorry to interrupt, but today’s sessions of court and the Senate both start in less than an hour.”

“Cancel them.”

“You explicitly said last night that you would say that, my lady, and you said I should remind you that canceling today’s activities was not acceptable,” the protocol droid said, and even though his face couldn’t show any emotion, Padmé got the impression he was scared. “Please don’t be angry with me.”

Vader could have Force pushed the protocol droid away from the door, but he was too busy groaning at the interruption. “If you go away now, we’ll think about keeping you in one piece.”

The protocol droid sputtered and walked away, complaining about how rude and insensitive they were and that it was their orders, not his and so on, and so on…

“I hate that we have work to do,” he pouted as he leaned forward to leave a trail of kisses from her shoulder to her throat. “But…duty first, right?” Vader mumbled regretfully against her chin. “We can finish this after we are done with these damn obligations. The wait will make it sweeter.”

“My lord!” Padmé pretended to be scandalized, even as she basked in his kisses. “We’re not going to wait _too_ long, though. I can be patient for other things. But not this.” Grabbing the edge of the tub, she stepped out of the tub and grabbed her robe. “Come on, get dressed so we can finish today’s business as fast as possible and get to the fun again.”

She decided to just let her hair stay in the knot she’d worn to keep it dry, rather than try for a more elaborate style, and grabbed the first dress she saw, a red silk one with a gold belt attached to it. It left one shoulder bare, and though it didn’t have the slits that she knew drove her husband mad, she’d settle for the copious amounts of exposed skin that it did provide on her torso. In the months since taking over the Senate, her fashion had been evolving, becoming more daring as she’d realized she had to stop thinking of her former colleagues as peers. And rekindling marital activities certainly hadn't hurt either.

“Try not to get _too_ frustrated with court today,” she told him over her shoulder. “Or maybe do, and then bring that back to me tonight.”

Vader caught her by the waist before she could leave. “You just want me to ravish you tonight,” he whispered in her ear and kissed a sensitive spot on her neck.

“That’s not a crime, is it, my lord?” she asked innocently as she finished fastening the dress into place and ducked away from him to look through her jewelry.

“Not in my eyes, my lady,” he replied cheekily. “Are you sure your Senators will pay attention when you are wearing such tempting garments?” Vader looked intensely at her, observing her choose her jewelry carefully. “I’m jealous. I should be looking at you all day, not them.”

“You’ll just have to picture me in it while you’re hearing complaints,” Padmé teased, fastening her Mandalorian necklace around her throat. “Think about me staring off into the distance while Senator Burtoni complains at me, and then my mind starts to wander and I’ll be thinking about how I miss you, and I know you’ll be missing me too.” Grabbing a pair of matching shoes from her wardrobe, she kissed him on the cheek and gave him a quick hug. “I’ll see you at lunch.”

As Vader initiated his audiences for the day, he was absorbed into his work, focusing on the pleas and requests he heard from common citizens, representatives from certain communities and even commercials or entertainers pitching him with new ideas to increase Coruscant’s wealthy culture. Three hours after he started, he heard some sort of commotion behind the closed doors of the throne room. His ears perked as he heard the guards arguing with a woman. Excusing himself from his current conversation, he opened the doors and both guards were taken aback with the sudden presence of The Emperor.

Vader was quiet as he observed the scene and then was hit with a sense of familiarity as his eyes landed on the petite woman’s face.

He couldn’t have been more than seven. He remembers, he had the afternoon off.

_Amee waited outside on the steps of her dwelling in the crowded, layered stack of hovels in Mos Espa. Her chestnut hair was worn in a braided crown around her head. She had woven some yellow flowers through her braids. It added to the holiday feeling of this day. Her thin face, usually so serious, looked almost pretty as she smiled._

_"I've never been on a picnic," she said. "Mother says she used to go on them when she was a girl."_

“Amee?” He whispered, shocked with the blast from the past.

The women’s clear blue eyes widened in recognition as she adjusted a toddler that couldn’t be older than two on her hip.

“You know this woman, Your Majesty?” Rex asked, surprised. “She’s a former slave and…”

“Thank you, Rex,” Vader cut his speech with a sharp tone making the Captain stand up straighter. “Next time a woman carrying a toddler – or not – comes requesting an audience, you inform me before you try to remove her, am I clear?” Rex nodded and Vader turned to Amee again. “Please, come in,” he said softly.

With a frightened look between the soldiers, Amee shyly entered the throne room, barely glancing at the Emperor. The people that had been advising the Emperor, eyed her warily but soon enough, Vader was dismissing everything and closing the audiences for the day. He patiently waited everyone left and then he turned to the young woman.

“I apologize for my Captain. He can be overly zealous.”

“It’s quite alright, your Majesty, I knew trying to get an audience with you would be a long shot but I had to try,” her voice was small and shaky.

“You don’t…recognize me?” Vader concluded.

“Should I, your Majesty?” She questioned, confused. “I…I don’t remember ever meeting you in person, it is surprising that you know my name but I…”

“Mos Espa,” he interrupted her, crossing his arms over his chest. It was always hard to speak about his childhood. “I took you on a picnic when we were seven.”

Amee gasped as it dawned on her. “Anakin?”

_Tatooine's hills were sandy and barren but nestled among them Anakin had discovered a small canyon. There, he found a tree with flickering green-gold leaves. He had never seen the species before, and it was the first time he had seen such a color in a natural form._

_Tatooine was a land of variations of beige and tan._

_The tree was scrawny and struggled to survive, but when you sat underneath it and closed your eyes, you could hear the rustle of dry leaves. On a day like today, with the air so fresh, you could almost pretend you were on a beautiful green planet._

_"It's perfect," Amee breathed._

“That…would be me,” he half-smiled, not used to having someone other than Padmé call him by his birth name. “It has been a long time.”

“Oh my, it is you,” she laughed as impulsively she hugged him with one arm as she held a sleeping toddler in her other.

Vader tensed for a moment. Again, other than Padmé, he did not have physical contact with anyone else. Amee seemed to realize that her gesture was perhaps too enthusiastic for the Emperor and pulled back, adjusting the toddler on her hip, the baby stirring with all the movement.

“No one knew what had become of you after your Mother’s death. There were rumors that you were taken by the Jedi. Others said you had been punished by the Emperor,” Vader almost snorted at that, it was so close to the truth. “But no one truly knew your fate.”

“I was not advertising it either,” he replied. “Is that your son?”

Amee nodded. “Syalies, yes. He’s turning two in a few months.”

Vader nodded in understanding. If his daughter had survived Sidious, she would be a few months younger than Syalies. That thought alone brought up unwanted feelings and he pushed them aside. “Please sit down, Amee,” he waved towards a sitting area and Amee accepted his invitation and sat in one of the couches, changing the toddler’s position, so he wasn’t weighing on her. “What happened after I...left...Tatooine?”

“Oh, well, it was a very intense environment for a few days,” Amee started. “No one knew what had happened to you, we just knew Shmi had died and you know how much everyone loved your Mother, Anakin, everyone felt her loss,” Vader nodded slowly. The subject of his Mother’s passing was always an open wound and every time it was mentioned, it was like rubbing salt on the wound. It was painful and uncomfortable and not something he would ever feel comfortable speaking about. “To add to that, you were gone. It was so sudden...all of us were in a state of shock. Nothing was the same again. Not the days off we would have. Not pod-racing.”

“I didn’t know I was so cherished,” Vader joked.

“When you’re a slave, every friend counts, or have you forgotten?” Amee questioned quietly. “Every loss is a bleeding wound.”

“No, I didn’t forget,” especially because he never had _friends_ in the Empire, so to speak. The ones he realized he had now, were first looked at as his Apprentice and his Captain. People who _had_ to respect him. “How did you escape slavery, if I may ask?”

Amee looked down at her son and bit her lower lip.

“I was a slave until I was fifteen. I was... I was bought by my father-in-law because my husband requested it. He was a pilot and he crashed on Tatooine. I’ve nursed him back to health and in return, he bought me...and then I was free. I could have left but...”

“You fell in love with him.”

She nodded. “I stayed with his family. They were good to me.”

“What about your Father?”

“After my Mom was taken by Krayn, you know he had his issues. He died shortly before I met my husband.”

“I see. I am so sorry about that. What about...Kitster... do you know what happened to him?” It had been a long time since he last thought of his childhood best friend.

At Kitster’s name, Amee smiled. “I know he earned his freedom. He actually owns Watto’s shop now.”

“You’re joking?” Vader asked, surprised. “Watto’s?” It had been his first _Master._ As a child, he had worked for Watto’s part shop and his pod-racing was due to Watto’s insistence (but it had also been something he enjoyed).

“It’s not called _Watto’s_ anymore,” Amee started slowly. “Kitster... he was really your friend and after you disappeared, he isolated himself from the rest of us. In honor of his best friend, the shop is now called Ani’s.”

Vader did not have an answer for that. He was shocked to hear what Kitster had done and felt unworthy of it. _Ani_... it was his Mother’s nickname. It was what Threepio called him. Padmé knew it existed, but she didn’t use it. Then again, to use his given name had been trouble, to move to that nickname was another process.

“He would regret it,” he ended up saying.

“Why would you say that? Kit has always said that you would be so happy.”

“If he knew what I became, he would change it as fast as the Tatooine suns burn,” Vader sighed.  

“Anakin, you’re working to end slavery Galaxy-wide. Kitster would name a thousand more shops after you.”

“I’m a Sith,” Vader argued.

“You don’t look like one. You are much more handsome than the last one,” she joked.

Vader snorted. It wasn’t hard. Amee laughed and her baby gurgled, trying to chew on her Mother’s hair. He looked at the little one and remembered how their conversation began. Her husband. She hadn’t spoken much of him.

“What of his Father?”

“He’s dead.” Amee’s smile turned sadder and smaller.

“I am very sorry to hear that,” Vader sighed. “It’s a shame that he will grow without a Father.”

“He’ll have the stories. His Father… was an honorable man.”

“How did he die?” Vader questioned, sensing Amee was avoiding something on purpose.

“Does it matter?” Amee sighed and comforted a now restless toddler.

“Now it does,” he replied with a raised eyebrow.

“You won’t help me if I tell you, Anakin, can’t you please let this go?” Amee didn’t look at him but instead smiled as her son demanded her attention.

“Your husband was a rebel,” he deduced.

Amee froze, before slowly nodding. “Yes. He was killed after Emperor Palpatine conducted a hunt in Coruscant for any Rebel spies. He met a very tragic ending.”

Vader felt a pang of remorse. He didn’t conduct the hunts by himself, he’d been rescuing Padmé at the time, but he had been the one behind the strategics of it. That left a little boy without a Father. Who knew how many more there were…

“Yet, knowing that, you came to request the Emperor’s assistance.”

“They say you’re different, Anakin. You don’t want a war, you actually want to bring peace to the Empire. I was hoping that who my husband was, wouldn’t be an issue.”

He thought for a moment. His relationship with the Rebels was always complicated. “It’s not,” Vader reassured her. “Tell me how can I help you.”

“I lost my house. Actually, I lost everything I had,” Amee gently bounced the toddler who was now looking around his surroundings curiously. “It was very hard to keep my job after my husband died. I ended up losing it, I couldn’t find anything else because I have a son and I can’t pay anyone to watch over him. It was a snowball effect. I literally have nowhere to go and I have a two-year-old who deserves better. I want his childhood to be better than mine. Than ours.”

He could understand _that._ Vader knew he had to do something to help Amee. Not only her current situation was partially his fault, but Amee was part of his past and he knows that his Mother would want him to help Amee. After Amee’s mother, Hala, was taken by the slave pirates, Shmi had helped her Father handle a seven-year-old daughter. His Mother always told him to help whoever he could. He can’t believe Sidious had made him forget that part of him.

“You can be part of the Palace’s internal staff. I am sure that there will be somewhere that you can fit in. That way you would live at the Palace and take care of your son at the same time. You would be given a salary, somewhere to live and a chance to give Syalies what he needs.”

“Are you...serious? You would do that for me?”

“Of course! We are remodeling the Palace and we are increasing our staff. Not to mention that you are a friend, Amee, and I want to help you get back on your feet. This is the best way I know how. I can request my head of staff to help you settle in and find you a suitable position.”

“Thank you! So much, Anakin,” Amee’s tearful thanks were emphasized by her little boy catching one of her tears in his chubby hands and frowning, starting to babble. “Mommy’s fine, sweetheart. We are both going to be fine.”

“Rex?” Vader called out and immediately, the Captain opened the door. “Find the Head of the Internal Staff and tell her we’ve got a new addition. She is to find a suitable quarter for Amee and her son, plus give her whatever she needs. Amee is not to start working until she is carefully looked at by an Emdee.”

The Captain nodded. “Yes, your Majesty. Lady Amee, will you accompany me, please?”

Amee raised her eyebrows slighted. An hour ago, he was almost running her out of the Palace and now it was _Lady_ Amee.

“Go with Rex, you will be well taken cared of. Later I will introduce you to my wife,” Vader said.

“Thank you,” Amee smiled, before turning to the baby. “Can you say _‘bye’_ , Sy?”

Shyly, he waved and said ‘bye’ in a small voice. It was adorable. Vader waved too and it was when he watched them go that he started to feel that longing. A longing he didn’t want to have anytime soon. What happened to Cordé had a deep effect on him and Vader didn’t see himself getting over her loss so fast and it was unthinkable for him to bring it up to Padmé. A sudden thought made him cringe. How would his wife reach to a toddler that was a few months older than what their daughter would have been?

* * *

At that moment, Padmé was very close to the end of her proverbial rope, moderating a debate between Senator Burtoni, as she'd predicted, and Mon Mothma about the method of dealing with the remaining Rebel cells that were in the Outer Rim. It was one of those seemingly endless arguments, full of thinly veiled hints about Mothma’s deeper connection to the Rebels and Kamino’s continued attempts at war profiteering, and the redundancy of it all was giving Padmé a splitting headache and the feeling of utter exhaustion, despite her earlier soaking session with Vader in the bath.

“Enough,” she interrupted. “If the two of you are not going to bring anything new to this conversation, we will adjourn for the lunch recess. When we reconvene, I expect something more substantial to be said.”

Without waiting for any protestations, she left the royal pod and headed to find Vader. “I hope you’ve been having a more productive day than I have,” she said as she stepped into the private dining room they used on work days.

“Depends on the perspective of it,” Vader replied, lowering his datapad. “The Senate is still giving you a hard time about the situation in the Outer Rim, huh?” He sighed. “It will eventually come to an agreement. Who’s better to mediate the situation than you?” Vader smiled as he stood to pull her chair. “I’ve had an interesting morning, actually. I’ve...met with an old friend of mine. From my days as a slave,” he started.

“Is that so?” Padmé asked, raising an eyebrow curiously. The distraction was more than welcome. “That must have been quite the reunion, considering how long it must have been since you’ve seen each other. What brought them all the way out to Coruscant?”

“Yes, it has been many years. One of my clearer memories is the one of when I took her on a picnic in Tatooine. We were seven at the time,” Vader chuckled as he sat on the table. “Her husband died and she… she needed our help. Unfortunately, it was downhill from the moment of his death, she lost her job and her house, and she has a son, Padmé. He’s almost two. We’ve talked and I’ve offered a position on our internal staff,” he said, slowly. “You’ll love her, she’s very sweet.”

“Her,” Padmé repeated slowly, her features shifting into a carefully neutral mask. “What a terrible thing to go through. Did she mention what happened to her husband?” This did not sit right with her— it seemed suspiciously convenient that an old friend from Vader’s past life would just walk into their lives now, with a child around the same age as…

No. He wouldn't have. He _couldn't_ have.

“Her husband was...a Rebel,” he explained. “At the same time I was rescuing you on Tatooine, hunts were being made in Coruscant for Rebel spies and her husband happened to be one of them. In a sense, I feel responsible for leaving a child Fatherless. I just want to help her support her son. He’s adorable. Big blue eyes, curly hair…” Vader spoke with ease, even though it could - would, actually - be a tricky situation. He knew having a child so young, so near, would be painful, but they had to learn how to handle these situations. Their friends would soon want their own families, he was sure. “I’ll introduce you both tonight.”

“I wish you'd consulted me about this beforehand,” Padmé said, her tone still carefully regulated. “We’re still renovating the staff’s quarters, where do you think they're going to live?”

He was caught off guard for a moment. He knew Padmé. He recognized her political voice when he heard it. “I didn’t think I had to consult you when it’s the case of helping a friend in need,” he replied, cautious. “We live in a Palace, Padmé, we are not lacking in space. It’s just a woman and a baby, I’m sure we can find somewhere for them.” And he doesn’t understand her attitude. Wanting to help others was something she’d always loved and has tried since the beginning to have him do. Now he was actually growing as a human being, and she was putting up walls? Something inside of his mind warned him to tread lightly.

“It’s my home too,” she said, not looking at him as she picked at her food. “I think I deserve to at least be told before you decided to bring someone I don’t know into it. I’m sure she’s a good person, but I would have preferred to be included in this decision before making it.”

“I wanted to help her, Padmé, and she looked like she was going to pass out at any moment. I was not going to tell her to hold on while I spoke with my wife about helping her. Listen, yes, this is your house too but it’s that really why you’re speaking with me like that?”

Padmé swallowed, and for a moment, she couldn’t hide the stricken expression on her face. Her head was pounding even more now under his gaze. “I’m fine, it’s nothing, I just need some fresh air, I’m tired,” she lied.

“You don’t look good,” Vader noticed. “Do you want me to go with you?” He asked, concerned. “Or maybe you should cancel Senate meanings for today. I’m sorry. That I sprung this surprise on you. I just...I was doing a good thing and I didn’t think I needed permission to do those,” he reached for her hand on top of the table. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”

“Of course I'm not mad, it's wonderful that you're doing something like this,” she reassured him. “I must have had something at breakfast that didn't agree with me, and then the Senate exacerbated my frustration. Don't worry about it.”

She rose without another word and headed to her office, the ones originally used by the Chancellor during the days of the Republic. The entire set of chambers had been redone to mimic Varykino, complete with a terrace decorated with flowers from home. It was on that terrace that Padmé sought her fresh air, staring out at the Coruscant skyline.

She was supposed to be over this. Considering the _months_ that had passed since Miraj Scintel’s visit and everything that had happened because of it, she'd thought she was over it. But suddenly, this mystery woman and her son had brought all those ugly feelings back, and it disgusted Padmé to the point of nausea. Vader could reassure her all he wanted, but certain things remained true. Namely that they did not discuss the matter of an Imperial heir. The layers upon layers of trauma that surrounded Cordé still ruled.

* * *

Vader spent the rest of the day worried about his wife. She didn’t look very well but he had learned to give her space. He was hoping she wouldn’t skip dinner. He wanted her to meet Amee and feel comfortable around her. With Amee nearby, it could help him share more about his childhood and he wanted to do it with Padmé.

When he reached the dining hall, Amee was setting Syalies on a high chair. The toddler immediately grabbed a spoon.

“Settled in, I see?”

Amee jumped. “Gods, Ani, you scared me!”

“My apologies. You look much better,” he complimented.

“I had a decent shower and meal, that would make anyone look better,” she smiled. “Will I get to meet the Empress? I’ve only heard wonderful things about her.”

“She is truly amazing. I’m just afraid she won’t be able to be with us. She didn’t look well when we spoke at lunch,” Vader sighed.

“I am very sorry to hear that. I was dying to tell her some embarrassing stories of her husband when he was a child,” Amee laughed. “She has to hear them from someone and I’m certain you won’t do it.”

Vader groaned. “Amee, I’m the Emperor.”

“You’re still the pod-racing golden boy that took me out on a picnic and made me laugh until I cried,” Amee winked.

As Vader started to laugh, Syalies giggled and Amee joined in. Padmé entered the room at that moment, still looking rather peaked and sick, clearly exhausted from whatever nonsense had been happening in the Senate that day. If Amee noticed, however, she did not mention it, and instead just smiled warmly. “Oh, Ani, you’re very lucky, she’s even more beautiful up close than on the HoloNet!”

_Ani?_ Padmé had to hide a twitch because she knew that nickname, it had been his mother’s nickname for him. What gave this woman get the right to use it so casually when it had taken Padmé more than a year to just _learn_ it, and only then by accident? “You’re very kind, thank you,” she said politely as she took her seat beside her husband.

“I was just telling Ani…” Amee started but by the face the Empress made, she didn’t know if she could keep using that nickname and keep her neck. The Empress took a stiff posture in her presence and it made Amee choose her words carefully. While she was friends with Anakin, she had never met the Empress who had once been a Queen herself. It was more than a little intimidating and she did not want to irritate her. “I mean, Anakin, that I am available to share some stories that he would never tell you,” she prepared her son’s dish as she spoke.

“Amee,” Vader shot her a warning look. It was nice that she was trying to break the ice with Padmé, but from his wife’s posture, he was not sure if it was the right night to do so.

The young woman ignored him as she started feeding her son. “Has he told you that he started pod-racing at seven? I honestly think his Mother got a decade older with each race! He was fearless,” Amee began.

“I wasn’t fearless, per say, Watto made me do it, remember?” Vader corrected her.

“Please, like you didn’t enjoy the rush. It was all you and Kitster could talk about,” Amee huffed. “The speed, the mechanics of the pod, how would you win the next race…” she smiled throwing him a knowing look. “It was a good distraction from our real work.”

“Watto was a Toydarian junk dealer in Mos Espa, he owned me and my Mother,” Vader turned to Padmé, to explain. “Kitster was another one of our friends. It was at Watto’s shop that I started to gather the pieces to make Threepio.”

“It was hard for Watto to keep the business running without him,” Amee said, addressing the Empress while she struggled for Syalies to accept the spoon of soup. “He eventually lost it. Kitster now owns it and it’s named after Anakin,” she threw her son an exasperated look. “Just one more. Can’t you be a good boy?” Amee whispered to her son as he looked away with a ‘no’. Amee sighed and set the spoon down, giving a piece of shuura fruit to her son, who was immediately delighted and entertained.

“My Lady, I should thank you,” Amee began as she turned to Padmé. “For welcoming me into your home. I’m sorry if it feels like some sort of invasion…”

“Amee, it’s nothing like that,” Vader interrupted her, but Amee shook her head.

“I’ve thanked you before, but I need to thank your wife too,” she reasoned. “I’m a stranger to her, Anakin, it can’t be easy having a stranger in your house and at your table,” again, she turned to Padmé. “Whatever I can do to serve you, my Lady, you will just have to ask.”

Padmé had stayed quiet throughout their exchange, even when they spoke to her, staring at the little boy sitting across from her. With his food finished, he’d stuck his fist in his mouth and stared back at her, blinking innocently as he waved with his other hand. “It’s fine,” she said distantly, taking a long drink of water as she rubbed at her temples, trying to nurse her headache. Amee glanced at her friend, worry clear on her face, along with something that looked like suspicion, but she had no wish to cross lines more than she already had. “Sy, sweetheart, say hello to her, don’t be rude.”

“Lo,” Syalies said without removing his fist and Padmé felt her heart crack. It wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t she have— No, she had to stop thinking about her daughter.

“Hello,” she said quietly. There was a knock at the door and, a moment later, it opened to reveal Sabé holding a datapad. “What is it?” Padmé asked in relief at the sight of an ally.

“The Elder Houses are reaching out again, they wanted to get confirmation on if you would be representing House Naberrie for the annual gatherings,” Sabé answered, her gaze wandering to Amee and Syalies. “I can come back later if you wish, my lady. I didn’t know you had company.”

“Leave it in my study,” the Empress told her, noticing how her former decoy’s eyes were still resting on Vader’s guest. “Thank you, Sabé, that will be all for the evening.”

Amee smiled shyly at the Empress’ handmaiden. She wanted to thank the woman for the interruption, the Empress didn’t seem very happy with her presence or her son’s. A few aids had warned her about having the baby with her during dinner, but Amee wasn’t ready to let him out of her sight yet. “I’m Amee,” she presented herself. “This is my son, Syalies and...I’m not very important company, if you have to work,” her eyes drifted to Vader and Padmé. “I’ll just leave and get Sy ready for bed.”

“Amee, that’s not necessary,” Vader looked between a flustered Amee and a wide eyed Sabé. Well, well… “Or...is it?” He turned to Padmé.

“Anakin, really, it’s no trouble. You’re running an Empire,” Amee smiled as she raised. Honestly, the Empress’ cold shoulder was leaving her a bit uncomfortable and she didn’t want to overstep any boundaries. “And I’ll have a very grumpy boy soon,” she chuckled as she released Sy from his high chair and set him at her hip.

“I'll take care of it,” Padmé interrupted, her eyes on her husband now. “You know I can handle it, take some time, keep catching up with your friend. I'd hate to spoil it.” She wanted so badly to be kind to Amee, but there were too many ugly feelings churning about inside her. “It's fine.”

“My lady,” Sabé spoke up. “Let me help your guests, you've barely eaten today between Senate sessions.” Padmé blinked at her friend in surprise, Sabé wasn't normally this vocal about such things.

“I would like that very much,” Amee was quick to reply to Sabé’s offer. She was always a woman who could appreciate both men and women and at the moment, Sabé was...quite attractive. “I mean, if the Empress doesn’t mind letting me borrow you,” she bit her lower lip.

Vader stood at the table, looking between Amee and Sabé. For a few moments, he was confused about what exactly was happening. However, once it clicked, his mouth opened in a small ‘O’ before he smiled slyly and waited for the scene to unfold. It was only Padmé that seemed to be a little out of it today and he intended to fuss over her once they were alone.

“I don’t think Padmé will mind,” Vader said softly, approaching his wife and laying a hand on her waist. “Right, love?” He kissed her temple. “You need to rest. Enough of work for today.”

Damn that smile and damn him for knowing what it did to her. “I told you, I'm fine,” Padmé insisted sulkily, “but if it means so much to you, then I suppose it can wait until the morning.” And, following the precedent she had set during Miraj Scintel’s visit, she gave him a very possessive, lingering kiss, letting her feuding emotions melt briefly as she basked in the word _love._ Even if it was only a pet name, and one he hadn't used since their disastrous first attempt at rekindling their marital relations, it felt so satisfying to hear him say it, a moment of reassurance.

Amee and Sabé looked at each other, surprised by the sudden affection between the couple, and soon looked away, both of them suddenly flustered.

“Your Majesties, we will leave you to your...marital affairs,” Sabé smirked. “Amee, allow me to help you settle in,” she turned to the Emperor’s guest, a bright and charming smile on her lips.

“Thank you, Sabé,” Amee batted her eyelashes and as Sabé opened the doors of the dining hall, both women left and the Imperial couple was alone.

Vader smiled and peppered his wife’s face with small kisses. _That_ kind of kiss was well known to him and her sulky expression didn’t leave any doubts as to why she was moody. Padmé could complain about his jealousy all she wanted, but in the end, she was as bad as he was.

“I know our night did not end the exact way we planned this morning, but what if we just cuddle and watch some crappy Holomovie?” he offered, caressing her cheek. “You’re pale. You’ve been on your feet too much and I only imagine the kind of fights you had to endure during the Senate.”

Kissing her forehead, lips lingering on her skin for a moment, he leaned back. Vader wondered if he should approach her feelings towards Amee or how her face was very expressive, but he decided against it. It was not a good idea to poke the Wookie and he figured all she needed was a good night’s sleep.

“Let’s go to bed, Angel. You’ll be better in the morning.”

“What about dinner? Emperor or not, Sabé will kill you if she finds out you neglected to feed me,” Padmé said, not quite ready to concede their little battle entirely. She curled her fingers around the collar of his shirt, leaning up to whisper in his ear, “and I need energy so that you can tire me out properly.”

“What if we get our food delivered to our room?” Vader whispered in her ear, hands slowly running up her waist to cradle her face. “This way, you are able to eat _and_ do wicked things to me,” he nuzzled her neck, nipping at the exposed skin. “I’m sure there’s a mark or two you want to leave,” he teased.

“I’m going to leave you with constellations of marks,” she promised with a savage grin, wrapping her arms around his neck. “That I promise you.” _Take that, Amee_ , she added in her mind. Padmé might not have been able to think about children, but she knew how to please her husband like no one else ever would, and she intended to remind Vader of that fact emphatically. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who may not know, Amee is from Jude Watson's _Jedi Quest: Path to Truth_ , which we quoted directly in a few places during this chapter. Syalies and his father are original creations.


	30. Realization

Next morning, Vader woke up with someone heaving in the fresher. As he felt his wife’s empty space, he quickly realized it was Padmé. He pushed the covers aside and rushed to the fresher.

“Force, Padmé, are you alright?” Vader asked, concern all over his face as he helped her push her hair out of her face. “Do you need me to call the Emdee?”

“ You’ll be better in the _morning_ , _”_ Padmé snarled, looking up at him miserably. “You’re a liar, and I’m going to **_kill_ ** you as soon as I’m done emptying what little there is left in my stomach.”

One last wave of nausea swept over her, and then she slumped into him, her good mood from the night before completely dissipated. “Fine, call him, but don’t you _dare_ tell me I should cancel today’s Senate meetings. I want the issue of the Outer Rim resolved so that I can present a proposal to you and have done with it.”

Vader winced at her mood. “In my defense, I was hoping you would be better.”

He had realized long ago, his wife was not a good patient. She hated being sick and most of all, she hated having to miss work. Which he could understand after spending so long away from it. Because of him. Vader sighed. “I won’t ask you to cancel Senate meetings  **_if_ ** the Emdee agrees. Your health is more important. If needed, I’ll attend the Senate myself!”

Gently, he brushed the hair away from her face, kissing her cheek. “I don’t like seeing you ill,” he mumbled and then helped her up. “I’m going to call the Emdee,” he said as he left the fresher and grabbed a datapad. He requested an Emdee from the medbay before he was commed by Dara.

_“_ **_Where_ ** _are you?”_

“Good Morning to you too, Dara!”

_“You’re late for the meeting with the Banking Clan, Master,”_ she huffed. _“You can’t miss this one. This is about the economic changes and renovations you and the Empress want to do to support the Outer Rim.”_

Vader groaned. He had completely forgotten about it. “Padmé’s feeling under the weather. Can’t we postpone this for the afternoon?”

_“Not possible, there are other engagements to attend to.”_

“What if I wait for the Emdee with her? Can they wait an hour?”

_“They are_ **_already waiting_ ** _for you,”_ Dara stressed. _“Listen, come to the meeting and then get back to check on her. Simple.”_

“Alright, give me half an hour to get ready,” Vader grunted and hung up. He returned to his wife’s side. “Will you hate me if I leave you alone to wait for the Emdee? The Banking Clan is waiting for me at the throne room and I can’t skip this. I’m sorry, love.”

“Not as sorry as you’re going to be when you get back,” Padmé warned, swatting him away irritably. “Go on, idiot.”

Vader sighed knowing he would never be able to reason with his irritated wife. He got ready in record time and quickly, before he was swatted away again, kissed her head. “I’ll be back soon,” he promised and left the room. Handling the Banking Clan was the last thing he wanted to do. Especially with Padmé sick, he didn’t want to leave her side.

Still in a foul mood, Padmé slunk back into bed and waited for the Emdee to arrive. When Sabé finally let the droid in, Padmé noticed her handmaiden’s hair was still in the style from the night before, but messy, as if she’d gone to bed without taking it out the night before. “You look awful,” she said bluntly.

“So everyone keeps telling me,” Padmé grumbled as the droid took her pulse and her temperature and checked her ears. “I do _feel_ awful, thank you for asking.” She then had to stop talking so that the Emdee could examine her throat before asking her about what she’d had to eat the night before. Padmé answered to the best of her abilities in between sips of water from a glass Sabé brought from the fresher.

“It would seem that you simply have a stomach virus, your Majesty. I will retrieve medication from the medbay, and recommend bed rest for the day,” the bot informed her before floating off.

“But—” Padmé tried to get up out of bed, only for her friend to grab her by the arms and push her back down.

“You need to listen to the droid,” Sabé scolded, and Padmé did not bother to hide her scowl. “Don’t give me that, it’s my job to take care of you. Even when you’re being an idiot.”

“I need to get a proposal from the Senate!”

“You need to _rest_. You’ve been getting sick like this more and more lately. Haven’t you noticed?” Sabé asked, taking the pillow from Vader’s side of the bed and putting it behind Padmé to prop her up. “The Emperor’s right, you’re overworking yourself.”

“I’m not going to just stay here while he runs around with that _Amee_ woman.”

Sabé’s demeanor changed. “I wouldn’t worry about Amee. I don’t think she wants to come between you and the Emperor,” she shrugged and fluffed a few pillows. “I understood when it was the Queen of Zygerria. But not with this woman. You are looking for enemies where they don’t exist.”

The former decoy sat by the Empress with a very serious look. “You trust your husband, don’t you? Is not a secret how much you two have grown close. I don’t see how Amee can be a threat in your eyes.”

“He's comfortable with her,” Padmé answered bluntly, and Sabé frowned, clearly not seeing the issue. “She knows things about him that I don't, and he doesn't have to work with her the way he did with me. He lets her call him _Ani._ He wouldn’t have all that ugly history that we do, and the boy—”

“Syalies is a sweet child, but the Emperor is not trying to use him to replace Cordé,” Sabé cut her off. “You're jumping at shadows that aren't even there, Padmé, and I wish that for once in your life, you would let yourself just be happy.”

Sabé stood from the bed and smiled. “Don’t worry about the Senate, I’ll handle it. If you want to call your husband Ani, just ask him. I might have some...engagements of my own after the Senate is over, so Dormé will come and help you when she can,” she said, secretively. “Feel better, Padmé,” she wished and left the bedroom.

* * *

After a long, long meeting and discussion with the Banking Clan, Vader rushed out of the throne room, not even stopping to address Dara. He would apologize later for that. As he entered the bedroom he shared with his wife, he saw her lying in bed and sighed in relief.

“Has the Emdee knocked some sense into you?” He playfully teased as he sat beside her and kissed her forehead. “I told you, you needed some rest. I have meetings I can’t cancel, but I’ll spend every break I have with you,” he smiled apologetically. “What did the Emdee say, after all?”

“Stomach virus,” Padmé said as she took another drink of water. “They gave me medicine and Sabé basically forced me to stay in bed. Didn't you see the extra troopers with Fives and Echo at the door to keep me in these rooms?”

“Well, they aren’t enough to keep you here, that’s for sure,” he chuckled. “Do you need me to get you anything? Or do you still feel like killing me?” She took one of her pillows and flung it straight at his head, but he only laughed, using the Force to guide it back into place behind her. The gesture made Padmé huff.

“Don't gloat so much, Anakin. It doesn't look good on you. Now, what did the Banking Clan say? If I have to miss work, you have to recount it for me.”

With that, he indulged her in recounting his meeting.

“All in all, they _have_ to help us, we’re the Imperial family, but they’re not happy about spending money in the recovery of the Outer Rim. They don’t see anything profitable or worth it,” Vader finished. “I told them that that’s our concern, not theirs. They only see credits in front of them. Do you know if Sabé was successful in the Senate today?”

“She refuses to report back to me,” Padmé complained. “She said she had other engagements, I don't know what that could be about. She's never been shy about telling me she was dating in the past, and I know she's seeing someone, her hair this morning was a dead giveaway.”

Vader looked amused and for a moment he wondered if he should share his suspicions. “I mean, maybe not in the past, but since you were ready to bite the head off of her new love interest, I can understand why she would keep it private,” he said with a small shrug of his shoulders.

“Bite the head off— **_what?!?_ ** ”  Padmé shrieked indignantly. “You can't be serious, she was— and you— but she called you _Ani._ You don't even let _me_ call you that!”

“Padmé…” he trailed off, unaware that that had been an issue. “You were jealous because she used my childhood nickname? Love, that’s because we were raised together and everyone at Mos Espa used it. Even Watto,” he explained. “I didn’t know you wanted to call me that, but I won’t mind,” he scooted closer to her, cradling her cheek. “I’ll even ask for exclusive rights and you’ll be the only one to call me Ani. Will that make you feel better?” Vader offered, smiling at his jealous wife. It was an adorable — but highly dangerous — trait. “As for Sabé and Amee...if you weren’t too _preoccupied_ to show Amee I belong to you, you would have noticed the bedroom eyes those two were giving each other.”

“It’s not just that! It’s… you were different around her! It all looked so easy for the two of you, and it’s _never_ been like that for us, and she’s never hated you or accidentally almost gotten you killed, or been…” She stopped just short of mentioning the circumstances that had led to Cordé’s conception. “She… she could give you things I couldn’t. How am I supposed to feel about this beautiful stranger who just walks into our lives, and everyone likes her, and you…”

She ignored what he’d said about the looks between Amee and Sabé, burying her face in her pillows. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t be tempted to Force-choke Palo Jemabie or Ian Lago if they were to show up.”

He has to admit, he was taken aback by her reaction. There was a visible flinch at her words. Vader never imagined she could have such an adverse reaction to Amee being around. He just wanted to help a friend. He thought about what to say next, he was entering some dangerous waters and being reminded of their past wasn’t helpful. For the past few months, he'd been able to pretend the hard times didn’t exist. For a while, he just allowed himself to be...happy. But he knew better than anyone that it was never that easy.

“It looked easy with Amee because...she knew me before Sidious. When I was just a slave, like her. When you’re a slave, you don’t have many friends so you cherish the ones you can get and the bonds between us are stronger. She never met…” he had to gain some courage for the next couple of words. “She never met the monster that you did. When she saw me, she saw her grown-up old friend who disappeared a long time ago. It was easy because she didn’t treat me with fear or disdain. I can’t lie and say it wasn’t nice not to have that baggage, but what you saw between us was just a sense of familiarity and...home. Something neither of us had in a long time.”

Vader believed things were getting easier for them. Weren’t they? They were closer than before and more comfortable with each other presence. That was easy, right? Suddenly he was second guessing himself and doubting the decisions he took related to them. It didn't help that Padmé looked stricken at the use of the word _home._

“And Palo Jemabie and Ian Lago  _were_ once romantically involved with you. There’s a difference,” he grumbled. “Padmé, I swear, I have no idea of what I can tell you to make your worries dissipate. All I did was help a friend. I don’t want anything from her. I can’t change _our_ past and undo all the damage and trauma I’ve inflicted on you, but I’ve been trying to be better and make up for mistakes I’ll never forgive myself,” he rubs his temples tiredly, knowing the day had barely started and he would have to endure through more hours of meetings, audiences, Court... “I don’t want Amee to be a problem, I don’t want her to feel like one either, so if that’s your wish, I’ll make arrangements for her to have a life in the city. I’m still going to help her, it’s the right thing to do. But at least she won’t be near us.”

His comm beeped and he almost groaned out loud. “It’s probably Dara,” he sighed. “I should go. I have things to attend to and you have to rest.”

“Stay,” she whined, clinging to his arm. “Please, I don't want to be alone, I need you.” She looked utterly pitiful, her hair a mess, her face pale and sweaty and her eyes shining with the beginnings of tears.

Vader closed his eyes, painfully aware that he should tell her what he feels instead of going in circles. “Oh, so I can’t ask you to skip work, but you can ask me?” He teased. “You…” _I am completely, irrevocably in love with you_ , he didn't say _._ “What am I going to do with you?” He says rhetorically.

“Come with me to the fresher and hold my hair back,” she answered in a solemn whisper. “I need to throw up again.”

* * *

After checking on Syalies, and making sure he was fast asleep, Amee turned to Sabé. “You know, all of what you’re telling me is leading me to believe the Empress might not be sick,” she pointed out, as she sat by Sabé’s side.

“Oh, he's going to _kill_ the emdee for misdiagnosing her,” Sabé said, unable to hold back her laughter as she realized exactly what Amee meant. “I _have_ to tell Dara so we can start another betting pool for it.”

Amee looked uncomfortable. “I don’t think making a betting pool is appropriate,” she spoke slowly. “What happened to them a year ago, with their first child, was awful! I can only imagine what they think about a new pregnancy. It’s not something to be played with,” she reasoned. “You actually have to be very careful. One of them might not react very well to the news,” Amee sighed. “You should speak with the Empress. Tell her to do a pregnancy test. Have a little tact.”

“Amee, we’ve been with them through the entirety of their marriage, and they generally hate it when we try to help if they haven’t asked us explicitly,” Sabé explained, omitting the parts Amee clearly did not know about, thanks to the propaganda Vader and Palpatine had pushed during that last year of his life. “And they take everything so seriously, it can’t _not_ be funny when you consider how clueless they are. Neither of them has told the other that they love each other yet, and it’s driving us all crazy. The gambling’s how we relieve that.”

Amee frowned, finding it odd. She didn’t question it further. “All I know is that this is not about them telling each other _‘I love you’_ , this is about facing one of the worst traumas a couple can have. A betting pool on the sex of the baby? That’s fun. This...this is not,” she explained, as a Mother herself, she can’t imagine losing her child. The thought is suffocating. “I haven’t been here for two full days, but I’m a very observant woman to know that if they are serious, is because they need to be. I understand not wanting people to meddle in their life, but you are her friend, Sabé, you should know better than anyone how this can affect her. Or if you don’t want to speak with her, I’ll do it. She hates me already, if she hates me more I won’t mind,” she sighed.

“She doesn’t hate you. It’s the HoloNet’s fault. For whatever reason, the gossip channels keep insisting that Vader has a mistress, and Padmé keeps doubting herself because of it,” Sabé pointed out. “They never suggest _she’s_ having an affair because of what happened with Rush Clovis. No one would be stupid enough to try the same thing. But there are more than a few women who have made it clear they’d love to replace her at Vader’s side.”

“That was never my intention. I didn’t even know Ani was the Emperor and I don’t know what I did in twenty-four hours to make her think that I wanted to be the next Empress. Much less with _Ani_ . Sure, I told his Mom I would marry him someday, but I was eight and...I’m fairly certain I should _never_ mention this to the Empress,” she made a face and laughed. “I’ve grown up, however, and as you might have noticed, Ani is not my type,” she smiled slyly.

“If you want to make it easier for her not to hate you, you might want to ease off calling him _Ani_ , then. For some reason, it’s a ridiculously sore spot for her.”

“Oh, right,” Amee widened her eyes. “It was always so natural for us that I didn’t even notice...but...I’ll stop calling him by his nickname then. Give her exclusive use of it,” she smiled. “Maybe I shouldn’t stay at the Palace, Sabé, I don’t want to make things harder on either of them. Ani---Anakin just wanted to help me. I don’t want that to hurt his relationship with his wife. And I’m sure my son’s presence is not helping the Empress’ mood at the moment.”

“And if you go, it still won’t help, because once she realizes, she’ll start feeling guilty, and the two of them will start another cycle of whose fault it isn’t or is, and it’ll keep going. They need a push, Amee, and I’m not just saying that because I bet that Vader would be the first one to break and say that he loves her.”

Amee nodded in understanding. “I see,” she whispered. “You know... he’s a good person. I heard thousands of stories about Darth Vader. None of them good. I wasn’t expecting much when I came here, it was my last resort. When I saw it was Anakin...I just thought of how much a person has to go through to become the horrible Sith, everyone was afraid of,” she said, not exactly knowing where she was going with it, but having to express herself. “Things started to change in the Galaxy after his marriage with the Empress. His Mother would have _loved_ her. Shmi was just one of those women that you could trust and rely on. It’s a shame they will never meet. I’m sure seriousness would be out of the window the moment the Empress realizes her husband was a witty and sarcastic little boy who always found a way to spread mischief around Mos Espa and making us forget there was a ticking time bomb in our necks,” her smile was nostalgic. “His Mom spoiled him with the only thing she had. Love.”

“Oh, she knows about the wit and the sarcasm,” Sabé promised. “But I think I’ve had enough of talking about them for now. You still don’t have an official assignment, so why don’t you borrow one of my cloaks and tag along with me while I double for Padmé in the Senate? She’ll be livid if they keep arguing without getting any kind of proposal about the Outer Rim.”

“This means you’ll be the Empress and I’ll be the bodyguard? I’ve seen a HoloRomance like that somewhere,” she said cheekily. “I would love to go with you, but I can’t leave Sy alone.”

“I’ll ask Dormé to look after him while she’s not tending to the baby we call our mistress. Come on, haven’t you always wondered what it’s like to be in the center of the madness?”

“Is she aware you two are so mean behind her back?” Amee laughed. “I did, yes, a couple of times I’ve imagined myself ending slavery with a big, empowering speech. Of course, I ended up waking up and having to clean my Master’s house, but still...a girl is always curious on how her life and the life of the Galaxy is decided.”

“We used to do it to her face. Whenever one of us was playing decoy and she was undercover, who do you think had the worst chores?”

Amee laughed. “I would have loved to see that. If I were you...I would have done the same,” she grinned. “On a more serious note...will you speak with her after the Senate is done? She could use an explanation for all the messy hormone bursts she’s having.”

“Oh, alright, if you insist. If only so that you don’t get kicked out because she’s being irrational.”

“Thank you,” she leaned in and kissed the corner of her lips. “I promise I’ll reward you if you’re nice.”

“Only if that means someday, you’ll let me teach you what the fun is in being mean. Just a little bit.”

Amee rolled her eyes. “If I don’t get kicked out, I promise I will be a very good student.”

* * *

Vader ended up not being able to leave his wife’s side. It had to be more than a stomach bug and he would take her personally to the medbay next morning if she wasn’t feeling better. Dara had complained a lot when he asked her to assume his engagements through the rest of the day, but he knew she enjoyed it a little bit. He laid in bed, next to her, stroking her hair and her back, trying to soothe her. Her nerves were still spinning out of control with her overreaction towards Amee, he was secretly upset, so they had fallen into silence, while the HoloNet played in the background.

As his fingers skimmed through her midriff, he froze as a sudden presence in the Force made itself known. His eyes widened as he set his hand on her waist, palm outstretched. _It can’t be._ However, there it was. So small, he almost missed it. Vader searched deep into the Force, inside his wife’s signature and swallowed his gasp. This small, powerful presence could only mean something. Something terrifying but at the same time, so beautiful. Padmé was pregnant. He didn’t know if he should have a panic attack or be elated at the news.

He sat upright as he grabbed the datapad from the bedside table.

“What's wrong?” Padmé asked him with a frown. “You look as though you've just seen a ghost.”

“Did the Emdee take your blood for testing?” Vader asked as he requested a _different_ Emdee to come to their room. He was going to pull the other apart and sell its pieces for the wrongful diagnosis.

“No, but blood tests generally aren't needed to diagnose stomach problems,” Padmé said slowly, sitting up and swinging her feet out of bed. “Anakin…Ani, you're scaring me. What's wrong?”

“What’s wrong is that when the _Emperor_ requests an Emdee for his _wife,_ no matter the symptoms, they have to do a _complete_ diagnosis. _I_ could measure your temperature and take your pulse. What good are they?”

“Calm down, you know how literally droids can take instructions if they're not programmed quite right,” Padmé scolded, moving over to take his arm. “What's really going on, what are you not telling me?”

Was he being paranoid? Did he think someone was trying to poison her? Maybe if Miraj Scintel were back, but no one else would be stupid enough to try such a thing.

“Then I should program these droids myself, it’s not that hard,” he grumbled. “I’m just...I’m just worried. You keep getting sicker and you are _pale._ I don’t think his diagnosis was enough,” he lied. “A blood test will be more specific and we can understand what’s actually happening with you.”

“Normally, it's adorable when you worry, but not when you're being like this,” she pointed out sulkily. “All this secrecy and cryptic brooding makes me think you know something— there isn't some long-dormant disease from Tatooine I might have, is there?”

“ _What?”_ Vader looked at her bewildered. “Of course _not,_ Padmé, don’t be ridiculous. I’m not keeping secrets, _or_ brooding,” he scowled. “I’m just annoyed that I can’t trust our own Emdees to do a full, necessary checkup,” crossing his arms over his chest, he shook his head. “Long-dormant disease…” he mumbled under his breath, rolling his eyes. He didn’t want to tell her about his suspicions just yet. He wasn’t even aware of how to handle the news himself!

“I know your brooding face, and that is it,” she argued stubbornly, and she would have said more if the emdee hadn't arrived at that moment.

“Back into bed, please, Your Majesty,” it requested, and Padmé scowled at her husband while she obeyed. The droid took her left hand and pricked the pad of her middle finger, drawing the blood sample into its own mechanical digit for analysis.

Vader observed the procedure with rapt attention, still very focused on the small Force signature that he could not ignore anymore.

“It seems, Your Majesty, that your symptoms are due to pregnancy and not a stomach virus,” the Emdee announced, his voice mechanical and programmed.

_The Force never lies,_ Vader thought and it was suddenly very, very real.

“I believe congratulations are in order,” the Emdee continued. Padmé only stared at the droid numbly, unable to move.

It all made sense suddenly. She'd been this way during her first pregnancy— irrational, moody, pessimistic. Had she missed the signs solely because she hadn't wanted to look for them? And they'd been using contraceptives almost religiously, except… his birthday. And the timelines were matching up in her head now.

Vader, who had been leaning against the bed, turned to the Emdee. “Schedule an appointment for the Empress tomorrow.”

“Certainly, Your Majesty.”

“ _Next_  time I request an Emdee, the full check-up has to be done. Otherwise, you will all be sold in pieces. Am I clear?”

The Emdee took a minute to reply. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Slowly, Padmé came out of her own thoughts and swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat as she looked over at her husband. “So…”

“You can leave us,” he dismissed the droid and remained silent until it had left. “I felt it in the Force,” he explained. “But I had to be sure before saying anything to you.”

“Right,” she mumbled, her tongue feeling thick and heavy. “I'm sorry, I can't believe I didn't see it for myself. It explains so much… Force, I've been _horrible.”_

Slowly, he sat on the mattress, his face saying nothing. “You haven’t been horrible. Hormonal is the right term,” Vader half-smiled. They were pregnant. Again. Sudden dread filled his insides as he remembers last time and everything that happened, since the beginning...the conception itself, not being apart of her pregnancy, the loss...his stomach dropped at the unpleasant memories. “We forgot to ask for medication to help with your morning sickness.”

“Never mind that right now, I don't need it,” Padmé said, taking his hands and holding them tightly. “I... I need you to tell me that it's going to be alright. And that I’m all you want, even when I’m being abjectly terrible, because my behavior probably isn't going to improve anytime soon.”

Vader took her hand. He was terrified of what was coming next, but he could handle it alone without burdening her with his troubled soul. Intertwining their fingers, he smiled at her request and scooted closer to her, reaching with his free hand to cradle her cheek. “It’s going to be alright. I’m with you. Whatever you need,” he said softly. “Padmé, you are all that I want, even when you are being abjectly terrible,” then he paused, it was now or never. What other moment would he have to say something?  “Because I am so, so, _so_ in love with you.”

For a moment, the entire world seemed to slow down, freeze, then speed up, including Padmé’s own heartbeat. “Say it again,” she whispered, grasping at his wrists. “I need to hear it again, I need to know that I’m not dreaming...”

He leaned forward. “I…” he brushed his lips across her cheek. “…love…” across her other cheek. “…you,” He pecked her lips. “After everything we went through, Angel, how could I not? I regret a lot of things that I’ve done and some sins will never be forgiven, but I fell in love with you and I will do anything you’ll ask of me.”

“I love you too,” she whispered, and immediately, an enormous weight lifted from her soul, she felt like she could fly... “Force, it feels so good to finally say that... why did it take us so long?” She was simultaneously laughing and crying, her shoulders shaking and her vision blurred, yet somehow his face was still perfectly clear.

“I guess we needed time to come to terms with it. We didn’t have the best start, it’s normal we didn’t want to throw ourselves into such strong feelings without being sure that we want to be with each other,” Vader shrugged and kissed her again, softly. “What matters is _now_. What the future holds for us. If we survived the past two years, we can survive anything, Angel. I love you. What I want to know is...how are you feeling after this?”

“A little scared,” she admitted softly. “It's been so long, and last time wasn't exactly pleasant… I know I don't want to tell anyone about this, or the HoloNet will start a hundred new channels dedicated to watching me. But about the baby itself… I don't know how to feel, it's all sort of a blur.”

“A _little_ scared? I’m terrified,” he confessed in a small voice, looking at their linked hands.

There would be other issues to talk about. She suspected he was going to try and convince her to keep cutting back her time at work, and there would be cravings, and the need for new dresses as her waist got bigger, a nursery to plan… but right now, she suspected their minds were focused on the same thing. “It's not... we’re not replacing her.”

“Nothing can replace her,” he said rubbing his thumb over her hand. Should he feel happy and celebrate? Be wary and cautious? He was having trouble on how to react and he didn’t want any words or actions to be misunderstood. “We can keep it to ourselves for now, if you want.”

“I do want,” she confirmed. “But I think I should also apologize to Amee. I wasn't very fair to her. Or her son.”

“I think she’ll understand. You also could start thinking about cutting back on work? Just...gradually reduce the work hours to avoid unnecessary stress. Have an appointment every week to control how he is progressing and how your health is. We should already schedule them with the Emdee tomorrow.”

She huffed, hitting him with the pillow again. “You’re relentless. You just want me to sit at home and let you spoil me. Admit it. Admit it, that’s what you want.”

Vader just looked serious. “I want you to feel alright during the pregnancy. I wasn’t...I wasn’t with you _before_ but I did my research, it was all I did to keep me distracted,” he shrugged. “You’re petite, Angel, and I know the amount of pressure you put on yourself. I don’t want you to push yourself too far,” he explained. “I already spoil you and if I could spoil you more, I wouldn’t mind.”

“Hmph.” Padmé sighed. “Alright, I guess we can compromise. But I’m going to work for as long as I can, you know how I hate feeling useless.”

“Carrying the Imperial heir is not being useless, but a compromise will be enough,” Vader nodded with a smile.

“Maybe don’t phrase it like that,” she requested softly. “Please?”

“I’m sorry, it slipped out,” he cringed. “Carrying our son is not being useless. How’s that?”

“Better.” It did worry her that he’d immediately assumed they were having a boy. She completely understood why he would do that, but there was no way of knowing this early. She raised their hands and pressed her lips to his knuckles. “It’s better. _We’re_ going to be better from now on. We can both promise that, right?”

Vader nodded. “I promise. It will be better. It’s going to be alright,” he said, internally in panic. “How far along do you think you are?” It was more of how long did he have to prepare himself to be a Father. A good one. A _great_ one. “There’s _so_ much to prepare. We need to at least tell the architects that we will need a room near ours.”

“How long ago was your birthday? Two months?” she asked with a little smile. “That’s the last time I remember neglecting to use our usual contraceptives. Dessert on your birthday.”

“Yes, two months,” six months left. She had been four months along when they lost Cordé, so they had to take measures, to make sure she’s constantly under watch. “I’m sorry, it was my fault I forgot. I just really wanted dessert.”

“We both did,” she said, laughing as she ran her fingers through his hair. “And who knows, maybe this is the Force’s way of saying that we’re ready. This _did_ get us to the point of finally admitting we love each other after all.”

“I realized I was in love with you on my birthday,” Vader confessed.

“And you never said anything?” she cried indignantly. “Kriff, Anakin! I had you tied to a chair and was riding you like there was no tomorrow, did it even cross your mind to mention it?”

He smiled at the memory. “We should do that again, by the way,” he playfully joked before turning serious again. “I’m sorry, I just thought you could never love me back. But I needed you too much to let you go. I was afraid telling you the truth would push you away and it already took so long to get to where we were.”

“You thought about letting me go?” That was the part that surprised her more than anything else. The picture she'd always held in her mind when it came to him would never have even considered such a thing. “Really?”

“I knew I made you miserable,” Vader started, playing with their intertwined hands. “When the girls were here on vacation and we went to the mall, remember how I disappeared? It was not because I needed my treatments, well, not only, but because as I saw you interact with them, I realized just what I had taken away from you. I came back to the Palace, I reunited with the lawyers and...I was ready to let you go back home, your real home. To your family. So you could...I don’t know, get back some of the happiness I cruelly stole,” he explained quietly.

Vader looked up from their hands to meet her eyes. “Later, when you found me in my office, you were worried about me. Then you started telling about the plans with the girls... I was selfish. I couldn’t do it and I’m sorry, I should have given you the chance. I gave up on the idea and promised myself I would find a way to make you happy somehow. I needed you too much. I still do. I know now that I already loved you at the time, I just wasn’t ready to admit it.”

“I remember,” she mused. “And I also remember you telling the girls that you fell for me the first time you saw me. Don’t tell me you lied to children.” To show that she was teasing him, she kisses his cheek lovingly. “In the interest of fairness, I suppose I fell in love with you around the same time. But it really didn’t become clear to me until now.”

Artoo wheeled past them, towards the door and Padmé narrowed her eyes. “Artoo. What are you up to?” The astromech whistled innocently. _Too_ innocently. “You weren’t, by any chance, about to go tell Fives and Echo what we’ve been doing in here so that they can tell the others who’s won a bet, were you?” Artoo’s dome spun around furiously as he beeped a vehement denial. “Uh-huh, sure. Anakin, didn’t we have vengeance planned for them?”

“We did, we should put them in motion very soon,” Vader agreed as he eyed the astromech suspiciously. “Artoo, go to your corner and power down before I wipe your memory circuits and you become unable to participate in those ridiculous betting pools again,” he narrowed his eyes and the astromech whined and whirled back to his corner slowly. “Good boy,” Vader smirked as it powered down. “Our friends can be ridiculous, I can’t wait to get them back for this. Now, if my wife feels up to it, I would very much like to spend the rest of the day making love to her,” he smiled as he kissed up her jaw line.

“I'll consider it,” she giggled, “but gently. Someone's using that space for the next six and a half months.”

He pulled back, frowning. “Should we even _have_ sex while you’re pregnant? What if...I touch them?” Vader made a face.

Padmé laughed so hard that her stomach hurt and she felt the need to relieve herself. “ _Force,_ Anakin, it’s fine so long as we’re careful! I remember that much from Sola’s pregnancies. Oh, but you should see your face right now!”

He tried to look offended but failed, and laughed alongside his wife. “I never been in this position before, I don’t know the trivial facts about pregnancy,” he defended himself. “Careful, huh? So, there won’t be a ‘ _riding me like there’s no tomorrow’_ sort of thing happening anytime soon, is that it?” He teased her. “I can do gentle and slow. Torturously slow,” he ghosted his lips over her neck.  

“At least get me something to eat first,” she retorted with a roll of her eyes. “Your baby has been depriving me of food all day, you might remember.”

“What kind of food does _my_ baby want?” He grinned, kissing her cheek sweetly because those words meant so much to him. “We should order, eat here and then just spend the night enjoying this moment. The two of us. This might be the happy ending we’ve earned.”

“Ani, it’s barely even lunchtime,” she reminded him, pointing at the chrono on the bedside table. “But I suppose I wouldn’t mind some Iego angel food cake,” she suggested. “With fresh berries, and a lot of sugar. And honey drizzled all over it. And maybe a little proteinloaf too... We can get some recommendations from the droid when we go for the full examination tomorrow.”

Vader opened his mouth but closed it just as quickly. For someone who was emptying her stomach minutes before, she had quite the appetite. “I’ll ask the kitchens,” he chuckled, grabbing the datapad and making the request. “While I’m doing this, I’ll go ahead and schedule the appointment for tomorrow.”

He took a minute to just see her. In this new light. Pregnant – willingly so, this time – with his child and actually happy with the news. “Tomorrow we’ll have to meet with our architect. I know we want to keep it between us, but if he’s going to start working on a nursery, he has to do it now. Also, maybe we can have lunch with Amee? So you can make that apology for thinking she was here to steal me away?” Vader kissed her forehead. “You’re so silly, love.”

When he teased her, she couldn’t help pouting. “I’m allowed to be silly, my entire brain is being addled by hormones from carrying a baby. I’m going to get fat and be sleeping all the time, it’ll be like you’re married to a shaak.”

He smirked. “If that’s you hormonal, I have a lot of tiptoeing to do for the upcoming months,” he chuckled, before leaning forward, kissing her cheek. “You’ll be the loveliest shaak,” Vader grinned. “Love, you’ll be carrying our child. You’ll still be the most beautiful woman on the Galaxy.”

“You’re only saying that because you love me,” Padmé mumbled, rubbing her stomach and wrinkling her nose. “Just wait until it’s actually happening. You might end up changing your mind.”

Vader finished sending the last of her requests and put the datapad away, moving so he was leaning against the headboard. He pulled his wife to him and started to massage her shoulders. “I will never change my mind. I love you. Watching you grow with our child, will be a privilege,” he kissed underneath her ear.

“Oooh, yes...” she murmured, cuddling into him as his fingers worked out the knots in her muscles. “Can you do my feet next? They’re absolutely killing me...” Of course, even as she was saying it, her eyelids were drooping and she was curled up in his lap with a smile on her face. “Love you...” she mumbled.

After she drifted to sleep, Vader laid next to her and kissed her temple. One hand cradling her still flat stomach, as he watched her sleep. They were pregnant. Again. This time was different, obviously. Cordé’s pregnancy had been everything but ideal. He wanted to make the next six and a half months perfect. Make good memories. They both deserved so, after so many trials.

“Sleep well, love,” he whispered against her skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are adhering to the Galactic Standard Calendar, _not_ the standard Earth calendar. The average human pregnancy is 42 weeks, or 294 days. Galactic Standard Time matches real-world time up until days being 24 hours, but their week is 5 days, and their months are 7 weeks (35 days), so a human pregnancy would be about 8.4 months.


	31. Revelation

The next morning, Amee was invited to have breakfast with the Emperor and his wife. Accepting, she entered the dining hall and bowed. “Your majesties, thank you for the invitation.”

“Stop being so formal, Amee. Come sit with us. We have so much to talk about,” Vader chuckled as he held his wife’s hand in his, and kissed her knuckles.

“The first of which is an apology,” Padmé added sheepishly. “My behavior yesterday was…. _Not_ appropriate. I’m sorry.”

“My lady, it’s alright, I had some moments like that myself when I was pregnant with Sy—”

“No, it’s not alright, I always told myself I wouldn’t be that kind of person,” Padmé insisted. “And it’s… not the first time I’ve had this problem. Just ask this one what I did when I thought Miraj Scintel was trying to steal him from me.” Then she realized. “Wait, you _knew_?”

“I suspected. I’ve gone through the same things, so I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

“I can’t actually complain about the end result of Miraj Scintel’s visit to the Palace,” Vader threw his wife a cheeky grin.

Amee raised an eyebrow, looking from her old friend to his wife with a little smile. “I see.”

“Look, the point is… There’s a lot I don’t feel I’m prepared for, and I’d appreciate it if you'd be willing to help to look after the baby when it arrives.” Padmé hadn’t talked it over with her husband, but she hardly thought he’d object. “We… don’t exactly have a lot of experience, and your help would be invaluable. Once we’re done with renovations, there’d be a set of rooms for you and Syalies, meals, and a salary all befitting the position. I promise it’d be very comfortable… Would you be interested?”

Vader’s eyes widened in surprise. No, she hadn’t spoken with it about it, but he couldn’t be against it, because Amee seemed like the right woman to help them through it all, being a Mother herself. “What do you say, Amee? Do you accept?”

Amee opened and closed her mouth. “Oh…Force, I don’t know what to say. I…I would be honored to help you. Both of you. I know how hard it is to carry and raise a child. Yes, I do accept your offer. I always loved children and taking care of the future Prince or Princess of the Empire will be absolutely delightful!”

Vader smiled, pleased with his friend’s decision. He kissed his wife’s knuckles one more time. “I think it’ll be a boy,” he bit his lower lip, letting his wife having her hand back and digging in into his breakfast.

“As long as they get here healthy and happy,” Padmé reminded him, digging into the leftover Iego angel food cake from the night before. “That’s all I care to think about. We don’t even know how far along I am.”

“It can’t be much more than two months, considering you’re not really showing yet,” Amee offered as she fed her son small squares of bread. Sy accepted each of them with a beaming smile that Padmé returned this time.

Amee was happy to see the Empress had warmed up to her son, understanding that the previous day’s actions were out of worry, hormones overload and a shock of meeting her husband’s old friend that she didn’t even know it existed.

“I think that we should hold off on letting anyone else know about this. I’m not interested in seeing five different HoloNet channels dedicated to Imperial Baby Watch. As my waistline grows, my tailor and handmaidens will be informed, but beyond that, no one outside of this room knows. Not even the troopers, not even Dara. After the betting incident, I’m not certain if I trust them with secrets.”

“ _He_ will be healthy and happy,” Vader nodded staring right into his wife’s eyes, before smiling and digging into his breakfast.

Amee looked at the Emperor and his fixed idea on having a son was starting to create a bubble of worry in her stomach. But she decided not to bring it up, that was the Empress’ place as his wife and the baby’s mother, and instead changed the subject.“Sabé mentioned the betting yesterday— I can't believe you let them get away with that.”

“We’ve been plotting vengeance for a while, it’s just never been finished,” Vader sighed, looking at Padmé. “I agree with you, we will keep it to ourselves as much as we can and only when it’s necessary will we reveal it publicly. However, telling our closest friends would be recommended for safety reasons. I know they misbehaved by making bets on our backs about us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t trust them with information like this.”

“Clones gossip,” Padmé pointed out, forcing back an eye roll at her husband’s continued insistence that he knew the gender of the child. “However well meaning it might be, I’m not overly confident in their ability not to tell their brothers after a few rounds at the local bar.”

Artoo let out a long series of beeps as he wheeled into the room, which set little Sy off into another set of giggles. Padmé got the impression that the boy didn’t understand binary, nor would it be advisable to teach him with Artoo around. “Don’t be so vulgar about it. The fewer people who know, the fewer will be fussing around me.”

 _The fewer people will pity me if something goes wrong again_ , she added in her mind. “Maybe I’ll change my mind when I’m further along and more secure in how safe things are, but right now, I just want to keep things small. Quiet. Less… messy. Surely you can understand that.”

“They do, they are worse than women,” Vader agreed with his wife and Amee chuckled. “I know your reasons and I understand them. We’ll tell them only when it’s impossible to hide,” he nodded with a small smile. They didn’t want another stillborn, or miscarriage, splattered around the HoloNet for the entire Galaxy to see. She was afraid it would go wrong again and so was he, but he was more confident that with Sidious gone, his child would live.

“I can help with that,” Amee added. “I will need something to do until the royal baby comes, of course, otherwise people will start questioning my use at the Palace. I am grateful you were so quick to help me, Anakin.” It was still odd not to call him Ani, but she could understand why his wife might want to use it exclusively. “But I want to do something. I don’t want charity, I want to work for my life and to serve as an example to my child.”

Vader nodded, turning to Padmé. “Do you think you can find a suitable position for Amee until the baby is born, love?”

Amee smiled at the endearment. You could see it in his eyes, how much he loved her. How far gone he was.

“I suppose I could use another handmaiden,” Padmé mused, “but people might wonder why I didn’t choose someone from Naboo, considering how much training they receive. And it’s a full-time job, that would make it harder for Amee to look after Syalies.”

“Maybe she can oversee some of the renovations when we can’t? It won’t be full time, and it’s flexible,” Vader suggested.

“If that’s something Amee would like to do,” Padmé said, looking over at her husband’s friend curiously. “It’s a big palace, do you think you’re up to it?”

“I certainly can try and as long as you tell me what you wish, I can make sure the renovations go according to what you have planned,” Amee smiled.

“Then I think we can make that work.” Padmé rubbed at her stomach with a sigh. “So, tell me something, Amee. When friends did something you didn’t like, even when they knew you didn’t like it, how did you deal with that on Tatooine?”

“Well, Anakin used to get into fist fights with a Rodian named Greedo when Greedo called him a cheat.”

“Why does that not surprise me at all?” Padmé asked dryly.

“He was a despicable creature,” Vader scowled.

“That I have to agree with him,” Amee pointed out. “Although I don’t think you should get into a fistfight with your friends,” she added with a grin.

“I have lightsabers now,” he said smugly.

“I don’t think you should use those either,” Amee rolled her eyes. “It’s very simple, really. If your friends are meddling in your life, you should pay them back in the same coin. I’m sure they hate if you meddle with their lives. It’s a question of finding out their weaknesses.”

“Dara and Rex,” Padmé said immediately. “They could use some time getting better acquainted with each other in a storage closet. And— Wait, Ani, do you remember which one it is that Dormé likes, Fives or Echo?”

Vader smiles as she uses his nickname. It sounds perfect coming out of her mouth. “No. Not at all. It’s not like I pay attention and they _both_ talk about her. Let’s flip a coin. Send her off on a blind date with one of them,” he shrugs. “I’m sure we can find another handmaiden to the other,” he chuckles.

“So you're punishing them by letting them get together with the people they like?” Amee asked with a raised eyebrow. “You two are going to be terrible parents on this trajectory.”

“Well, how would _you_ handle it?” Padmé retorted curiously. “Since you're so wise in the ways of punishing unruly adults who act like children.”

“Easy, pair them with the people they don’t like,” Amee smiled wickedly.

“Ooh,” Vader turned to his wife. “That is a great idea. Imagine sticking Dara and Echo on a blind date, Dormé and Rex inside one of the smaller closets we have and Sabé—”

“Do we have to drag Sabé into this?” Amee interrupted with a shy smile.

“She’s running the betting pools, isn’t she?” Padmé pointed out, then grinned devilishly. “Ani, how convincingly do you think you could flirt with her while pretending she’s me?”

Vader almost choked on his breakfast. “You—” he coughed several times. “You want me to flirt with Sabé?” He asked in disbelief and Amee laughed at his face. “We’re talking about the woman you’re interested in, don’t laugh!”

“Your face, Anakin, it looks like she asked you to do the most despicable thing on the Galaxy, it’s just so funny,” Amee giggled. Even Syalies was laughing at the sight of him in between handfuls of his breakfast.

“This stays between us, obviously,” Padmé added. “No one can know, or the entire thing is ruined.”

“I won’t say a word,” Amee promised with a smile. “We’ll just have to see how it goes though. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Maybe we do, maybe we don’t, but we’re doing it together, and that’s what matters,” Padmé said, squeezing her husband’s hand as she leaned in and kissed him with a soft smile. “We’ll get started on it as soon as we’ve had our appointment in the medcenter.”

“Oh, just wait til you hear the heartbeat, it’s _wonderful_ ,” Amee promised. “Makes it so much more real.”

Vader squeezed her hand back, a part of him was excited but another was scared over their appointment. With her previous pregnancy, he wasn’t there for anything. All he received was the information in a disk, so he was assured her pregnancy was progressing well. While Padmé was reviving the steps she took before, he was taking them for the first time.

Their breakfast came to an end, and Amee dismissed herself to her rooms, so she could clean up Syalies and change his clothes. She briefly mentioned some plans with Sabé, but Vader’s mind was more occupied by what followed.

Their appointment.

He had cleared his morning of all responsibilities, so he could dedicate himself to Padmé, and what she needed. He knew that it was not going to be easy to repeat the same process and he wanted to be there. Vader was not going to make the same mistakes as before.

“Come on, we don’t want to be late.” Padmé tugged at his hand, pulling him along gently. “Some of the Emdees can be almost as fussy as Threepio. Almost.”

Vader intertwined their fingers. “I don’t think anyone can be as fussy as our protocol droid,” he joked lightly and took their joined hands to his lips. “Are you nervous?”

“I said almost,” she pointed out. “And of course I’m a little nervous, how could I not be? But you’re here. That gives me hope that it’s going to be alright. Don’t tell me _you’re_ nervous too. You’re supposed to be the one supporting me in all this madness.”

“It’s going to alright,” Vader reassured her with a smile. “I’m not nervous,” he lied softly. “I’m anxious. That’s all,” he added. “It’s the first time we’ll see and hear our baby’s heartbeats.”

“Nervous and anxious are the same thing,” Padmé argued. “But it’s fine. You can _be_ nervous, you just can’t _tell_ me that you’re nervous. Alright?”

“It’s a different kind of anxious, Padmé. Anxious as in... I can’t wait to meet our child. Hear his heartbeat for the first time. To know he’s real,” Vader said. “I’m here, for you, anything that you need and want, alright? Nothing is going to go wrong this time,” he kissed her temple.

“Anakin.” Padmé stopped walking for a moment, gripping both of his hands as she looked up at him. “We won’t know for at least another two months what the baby’s going to be. I know why you keep calling them our son, but there’s a fifty percent chance they _won’t_ be. And I don’t want to see you build up your hopes only to be disappointed if it does turn out to be a girl. That can only hurt all of us in the long run. Do you understand?”

Vader could not confess to her his turmoil on having another girl. While he had, for a long time, wanted to have a daughter, that wish died with Cordé. He couldn’t see himself be the Father to a little girl when the first was gone because he had wanted her too much. “Of course I know that,” he replied, nonchalant. “Fifty percent chance of each,” she didn’t need to know he was asking the Force, her Gods, _everyone_ for a boy. “No one is going to be disappointed, I promise. This pregnancy will go on smoothly, I guarantee you that,” he squeezed her hands, offering a smile. “Now, we’re really going to be late, Angel.”

Padmé frowned, not entirely certain she believed him, but she decided to let the subject drop as they made the rest of the trip down to the medbay. There were no fewer than three Emdees waiting for them, and Padmé couldn’t help raising an eyebrow. “ _Really_? Three of them?”

Vader nodded. “Oh, absolutely. I’ve realized I can’t trust _one_ of them to do the complete work so while I don’t tinker with their systems to make them fully operational, I’m not taking any chances,” he scowled.

Padmé shook her head as she undid the top half of the dress she was wearing and lay down on the examination table. “You’re absurd,” she muttered, pushing the fabric further out of the way so that two of the droids could move the scanner over her stomach. The third one was setting up the screen that would show them where the babies were.

“I think the word you’re looking for is careful,” Vader quipped as he pulled a chair to sit down near the table. As the droids settle up, he took her hand and kissed her knuckles again. _Here we go._

It took a full five minutes of the scanner whirring over her for the image to fully form and a steady thumping could be heard as well. Padmé’s grip tightened on her husband. “It’s real, it’s really real, that’s them,” she whispered, pointing at the little white shape as the scanner continued to move, giving a fuller view of the baby’s form.

“Both heartbeats are strong, that’s good,” the droid working the screen controls remarked. Vader was so awed by the sound and shape he almost missed the droid’s comment.

“Both? My wife and the baby, you mean?”

“Not exactly, your majesty,” the second droid interjected. “It would seem your wife is carrying twins. Give us just a moment to adjust the view and you’ll see both of them clearly.” The screen’s image grew fuzzy for a moment, then sharpened again, revealing two very distinct white shapes among the black. “There they are.”

“Twins,” Padmé repeated dumbfoundedly.

“Twins,” Vader echoed. “Two babies. One plus one. Two heartbeats. Two little white shapes…” he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. “...Twins.”

“Er, yes.” The third droid nodded. “Both of them seem healthy, but there are of course many other tests, as you know, your majesty. That’s another two appointments before the scan to determine the sexes, and then bi-weekly check-ins until the last month, at which point, you should be coming in at least once a week.”

“She should come once a week starting now,” Vader scowled and the Emdees all looked at the Emperor. “I don’t care about what is the usual routine. This is your Empress, my wife, and with this pregnancy, there can’t exist the expression of being _too_ careful, so I suggest you schedule those weekly appointments. Starting _now_.”

“Certainly, your majesty,” one Emdee replied after there was a moment of silence and the Emperor didn’t divert his burning gaze from them. “We will be scheduling the appointments and add them to her Majesty's plan. You will receive an alert on your personal datapad,” the Emdee said to the Empress this time.

Padmé nodded slowly, looking over at Vader. “Do you mind if we take a moment?” she asked the droids.

All Emdees removed themselves from the room and Vader played with their intertwined fingers. “I am not overreacting, by the way,” he mumbled.

“You _are,_ ” she argued, sitting up awkwardly with the machine still over her and her dress still down. “If I’m coming into the medcenter every week, people are going to start talking, wondering what’s wrong with me, and then we’ll lose what little time we do have for this to just be ours. And it’ll make me stressed. Please, just let me have some sense of being normal in all this madness.”

“If it’s needed, we can set up a small medcenter in our wing,” Vader argued. “For my sake, Padmé, I need you to be monitored, so we know everything’s alright with you and the baby. Babies, I mean. I don’t want to take chances, especially with you carrying twins!”

Sighing, he turned to look at the screen where he could still see the two little white shapes. “I want us to have a normal pregnancy and I also want us to keep this to ourselves a little while longer, but my priority is your health.”

“Anakin…” This wasn’t an argument she wanted to be having, this was supposed to be a happy moment! “I’ll be fine. I swear, it’ll be fine, Sidious is _gone_ , and everything else was fine, this isn’t going to go badly. Have a little faith in me, will you?”

“It’s not in you that I don’t have faith,” Vader said quietly. He realized he was making her feel on edge by showing his own fears, so he had to take a step back and give her space to breathe. It was difficult, but her face said it all. “I’m sorry. I’ll trust your decision on this. If you say that a bi-weekly appointment is enough, then I’ll believe it.”

Vader knew he needed to control his emotional outbursts. The part that still clung to Darth Vader was the part that feared the loss of control. Being Anakin was being...all over the place, and it made him fear a whole new set of things, especially with his impending fatherhood at the moment. He forced a smile and kissed her forehead. “What if we get out of here and go out for lunch?” He offered as a distraction.

“Oh, alright,” she sighed, pushing the machine out of the way and pulling her dress back up. “But I’m worried about you now. This isn’t healthy.”

Vader helped her get down from the table and then pulled her into a very long, passionate kiss. Cradling her face in his hands, he broke the kiss, to shower her cheeks with small ones. “I love you,” he simply replied. Joining their foreheads and wrapping his arms around her waist, tightly holding her against him, he smiled. “Don’t you dare worry about me, you have two little lives to care for now. I’m a big boy, I can take care of myself. I promise.”

“I love you too. But you’re an idiot sometimes,” she scolded him bluntly. “Twins… we’re going to have to rethink how we’re going to design the nursery, we’ll have to get two of everything. Force, how are we going to handle _two_ babies?”

Vader hugged her, her head falling on his chest, his chin over her hair. As she spoke about the nursery and handling two babies, his mind reeled with everything else. “We’ll be fine. You’re a natural,” he reassured her. There were security measures that would have to be implemented and then when they decided to share their news with the Galaxy, there was the HoloNet to control. He didn’t want them to hover or to make comparisons to her previous pregnancy. “Where do you want to have lunch?” He asked as he made a mental note to request to the Emdee a healthy diet for her during the pregnancy, change the menus at the kitchens so she could get everything that she and the babies needed plus whatever her cravings were.

“You know what, I feel like going to Dex’s Diner. That was always where I’d get food when I was working late and needed a snack to keep me going,” she admitted as she slipped her arm through his.

“I think the Emperor and Empress sitting at Dex’s Diner will cause a commotion, but if that’s what you feel like, we can leave right now,” he laughed gently.

“Or we could just order something to be delivered to us and stay home,” she pointed out, running her fingers up to find that spot on his neck that she knew was sensitive. “Make a habit out of eating in bed.”

Vader chuckled. “We never actually eat in bed, and you know it,” he nuzzled her neck.  

“Well, then you’ll have to make me eat,” she countered. “You’ve got a big family to provide for, _Daddy._ ”

That word caused him to tense, but it also made him tingle everywhere. He couldn’t wait until he was hearing those words from two little people that in no time, would be joining them. “Thanks to you, Angel, I do. Come, let me feed my big family with their Mother’s favorite,” he grinned.  


	32. Identification

_It was like living a memory. Replaying the scenes that already happened before. He feels Padmé grab his arm. Something is wrong with their baby and he feels it, he feels it through the Force. He’s losing her. The daughter whose heartbeat he never heard and whose little white shape he never saw. The images are a blur but he knows what is happening. He’s carrying her to the medcenter, the Emdees are around her, doing tests and exams, and it takes forever before one of them speaks. While he waits, she’s suffering, they both are and he’s useless to stop it._

_“Your Majesty,” the Emdee calls and he turns to the droid, fearing the next words. “We apologize, but the twins didn’t make it.”_

With a sharp intake of breath, Vader sits up in bed. There is a fine layer of sweat covering his body as he recovers his ability to breathe. He turns to see his wife, deeply asleep, the roundness of her stomach, visible under her nightgown. With gentle care, he touches her stomach to feel the vibrant Force signatures, alive and comfortably sleeping. She was four months along. Her first pregnancy had ended sharply at four months, more than a year and a half ago, and this month was complete hell to him. He’d lost a decade of life at any strange behavior or break of routine.

Knowing he was not getting back to sleep anytime soon, and in a sour mood, he quietly left their bedroom and hid himself in his office. If he had a way to see into the future...but the Force was clouded. It didn’t show him anything. It kept torturing him with these awful nightmares where he lost it all! The babies, Padmé...it would be a surprise if he reached the end of this pregnancy without a meltdown.

The door slid open, startling him.

“What are you doing up?” Dara asked, alarmed.

“What are _you_ doing in my office?” Vader retorted. “Shouldn’t you be after the Inquisitors?”

“About that…” Dara licked her lips. “I was but now I’ve rescued something like fifteen kids and they’re all in the throne room. I just had the kitchens deliver them food while we decide what we should do with them because these force sensitive kids have nowhere to go!”

Vader just looked at her in shock. “ _Fifteen Force-sensitive kids?_ Dara…”

“What?” She scowled. “I couldn’t leave them!”

Running a hand through his hair, Vader stood up. “No, I know that, but you should’ve taken them to the orphanage,” he shook his head as he left the office towards the throne room, Dara hot on his heels.

Cracking the door to the throne room open, he felt the whispers of the group of kids, whose ages were between four and six-year-olds. They were already eating and sitting in a few chairs, a couple of them sniffing.

“How about their parents, Snips?”

“I don’t know, Skyguy, it’s not like the Inquisitors leave witnesses.”

Vader’s shoulders dropped. “I’m sure they must have some family alive. Try and track them down. After they eat, you should get them to the orphanage and give them specific orders to take good care of the children…”

“Ani?” Padmé interrupted him, standing in the doorway as she blearily rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She hadn’t even taken the time to put on a robe, and the pregnant swell of her belly through her nightgown was even more evident with how she had to lean back to support herself. “What’s happening? I woke up and you were gone, and I got worried.”

“Don’t worry, Angel, Rex and Dara just decided to adopt a few dozen small children,” Vader quipped, not revealing to her the original reason he wasn’t in bed.

“It’s nothing like that!” Dara screeched, cheeks burning with embarrassment. “We’ve _rescued_ a few kids from the Inquisitors and we’re deciding what to do with them,” she turned to Padmé, faces still bright red, Vader smirking from her side.

“You should go back to bed, Padmé, I’m going to help Dara with the kids,” he said.

“Can't I see them too? You're scary when you're tired,” Padmé argued. “And I _can't_ sleep, your children have shifted to press on my bladder.”

Dara covered her ears, gagging dramatically. “I did not need to hear that.”

“I’m _not_ scary,” he argued with a scowl. Somehow, he relaxed to know his children were active. “Oh, hush, Snips, you’ll be a Mom someday too, might as well know what to expect,” Vader rolled his eyes. “Padmé, if you want, be with the kids but _we can’t keep them,”_ he added in a stern voice. “We already have two on the way and let’s worry about keeping those. Dara and I will start making preparations for the kids to be transported to the Coruscant orphanage.”

“Threepio, go wake up Amee. Tell her I could use some help,” Padmé instructed the protocol droid, who had followed her from the bedroom. “And Sabé, if she's there.”

“Of course, my lady,” Threepio said before toddling off to fulfill her orders. Padmé took a moment to kiss her husband on the cheek before stepping into the throne room. All the children fell silent when they saw her, eyes widening.

“Hello,” she murmured, almost as shyly as they surely felt. “You don't have to be scared, everything's going to be okay, I promise.”

Knowing she would be entertained, Vader helped Dara take care of a safe transportation for the children. He was the one to talk to the Director of the orphanage, to ensure that the children would have all the necessary conditions to recover from the time they spent with the Inquisitors. Dara and Rex began working on finding the living families of each child and for that, they had to get back to the throne room. Get their names, ages, species and their home planet. After he was done with the Director, Echo and Fives confirmed the transportation.

Entering the throne room, he noticed the children had warmed up to Padmé, Amee, and Sabé. The smaller ones had adopted Rex as their personal jungle gym, but the clone seemed highly amused while Dara tickled a little shy girl. The ones that noticed him, got more quiet, afraid.

“It’s alright, everyone, I don’t bite,” he smiled as he went towards his wife, kissing her temple, he laid a hand on her stomach. “How are they?”

“Calmer now. We got them hot chocolate from the kitchens, and Amee told them a story,” Padmé answered with a little smile as she leaned into him. “The poor things have been so neglected, I hope we can find all their families.” For a moment, she let the moment linger, but then she felt a new pressure, one she hadn’t been expecting. “Oh. Oh, Ani, I think they’re kicking!”

When he’d asked about ‘they’, he was mentioning the twins and not the children, but he didn’t say anything as she replied. “Dara and Rex are working on that,” he reassured her and then felt _something_ against the hand that was caressing her stomach but couldn’t pinpoint what it was. It was only when she spoke that he understood the twins were moving. “Oh,” he whispered, eyes widening as his palm widened on her stomach and he remained quiet. They were moving, they were _alive,_ they were going to be just _fine._ Did Cordé move too, before she slipped away? His eyes were on her stomach and he stopped hearing the whispers of the children around him, as he focused his energy on feeling his children move for the very first time!

Padmé smiled, running a hand through his hair as he continued to look at her stomach. “I felt quickenings before, but nothing like this. It’s… it’s wonderful,” she whispered. Behind them, Amee noticed the private moment and started shepherding the rescued children out of the throne room, along with Dara, Sabé, and Rex.

“It is,” he agreed as he felt a light pressure against his hand. Vader barely noticed that the throne room was silent again and they were alone. “They’re moving,” he stated and kissed her temple. “I love you so much,” Vader whispered as his fingers caressed her stomach. “We’re finding out the genders tomorrow,” he mused. “What do you think? Two of one or one of each?”

“Let’s not think about that right now,” she chided. “No matter what happens, no matter what they are, they’re ours, and I love them already.  Just like I love their daddy.”

“I know, but I can’t help but wonder. You know I’ll love them, no matter the gender,” Vader added. Did he hope for twin boys? Secretly, yes. It was irrational, the dread he felt on having a girl, or two, but he couldn’t help but feel like it was unfair to Cordé. “They’re active,” he smiled as he felt more movement against his hand. “That’s good,” he whispered. “Does it hurt? When they kick? It’s two of them, each kicking their side.”

Padmé shook her head. “It's more like hiccups that are being made by tapping. But they're still small, comparatively speaking. In another three months, who knows how it'll be.” She moved her hand under his, rubbing circles where the twins were kicking. “Back to sleep now, my loves.”

“You should follow your own advice,” Vader mused. “Go back to bed. I’ll make sure the children arrive safely at the orphanage and that we dedicate some heavy resources on finding their families. I’ll take the extra time to handle some paperwork that has been piling up on my desk since I won’t be able to go back to sleep.”

“Fine, but don't snap at the Emdees tomorrow just because you're tired and impatient to know about our little—” she paused, frowning. “I don't know why, but I can't really reconcile the name ‘Vader’ with ‘little.’ Or with ‘babies,’ for that matter.”

“I will only snap at them if they are incompetent,” Vader quipped before frowning. “No, you’re right. Nothing innocent goes well with Vader, does it?” He sighed, knowing his Sith name was more like a curse and no children should bear it. Then, as he remembered something, he smiled as he curiously looked at his wife, wrapping his arms around her waist, their children nestled between them. “You don’t know my real last name, do you?”

“No, I don't think it's ever come up in almost three years of marriage,” she replied, cocking an eyebrow. “Am I finally going to have the privilege?”

“Only because you’re going to be my babies’ mother,” he teased her, kissing her lips briefly. “Skywalker,” he said. “Anakin Skywalker. Which means that _you’re_ Padmé Skywalker and these,” he places his hands on either side of her stomach. “Are the Skywalker babies. Didn’t you ever wonder why Dara calls me Skyguy and refers to my children as the Skybabies?” He chuckled. “I know I should have told you sooner, it just never came up.”

“I thought it was a pun on Flyboy! And that she was being bitter after the incident with the closet,” Padmé admitted with a little blush. “But I like the sound of Padmé Skywalker a lot more than Padmé Vader.” Just saying it made her shudder. “Ugh, it doesn't sound good at all, does it? No wonder everyone still calls me Amidala.”

“No, one of the things I did as a Master, was to be completely honest and open with Dara. As she knows my real name, I know hers. That was why she was included in the plans I had to take down Sidious,” Vader explained. “You’re my wife and Amidala is your single name, it shouldn’t be used,” he sulked. “Although I do see your point, Vader doesn’t go well with anything but Darth. It’s a name for a Sith. Not an Angel,” he kissed her forehead. “Or little, innocent lives,” he whispered as his children did _not_ take their Mother’s advice. “I’m sure we can find names that go well with Skywalker, though. Can’t we?”

“Most definitely,” she confirmed, even though there was still a little wrinkle between her brows. “I'm taking our _Skybabies_ back to bed. Don't push yourself too hard tonight, alright, Anakin?”

“I promise, I’m just going to ensure the children’s safety. I’ll wake you up with breakfast, before we go to our appointment,” Vader smiled. He laid one hand on her stomach and hesitated. “Be good to your Mother,” he said quietly, feeling a bit silly over the action until Padmé’s eyes widened.

“They stopped. How did you do that? Was it the Force?”

“I…” Vader started, unsure until he searched for their Force signatures and they _responded_ _._ “They know me,” he marveled.

“Well, then I guess we know who gets to be on tantrum duty for the rest of forever,” Padmé teased, giving him a peck on the cheek. “Thank you for calming them down. I'll see you in the morning… _Emperor Skywalker.”_ She was never going to call him Vader again now that she knew the full extent of his real name, that much was certain.

Vader was still marveling at the fact that his children knew his Force signature, responded to him and...and already reached out _to_ him.

Emperor Skywalker. He looked at his wife, surprised. It didn’t sound bad at all, especially from her lips. But would the Galaxy see it that way? Shedding his Sith name could lead to a new Rebel phase, it could show weakness. He'd fought too hard for his place, for the Galaxy, losing it all because of a name… could he do it? “Sleep well, _Empress Skywalker_ ,” he replied cheekily, kissing her knuckles before letting her leave to get a bit more rest.

* * *

His knee bounced up and down repeatedly as the droids set up the machine to scan his wife and confirm his children’s gender. He was nervous, more nervous than he ever imagined himself to be in this situation. Vader was sincerely hoping for two boys and maybe _the next_ pregnancy could come with one or two girls. It would give him time to adjust to being a brand new parent and also, time to accept the fact that he wouldn’t be replacing the daughter he lost.

“Why is it taking so long?” He narrowed his eyes towards the Emdees.

“Patience, your majesty,” one Emdee requested and Vader’s nostrils flared. It was not one of his virtues. “It’s ready,” he announced before the Emperor could give some use to the lightsaber he carried with him.

“Anakin, you promised me,” Padmé reminded him, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. “Go on, Emdee, I've got him under control.”

“The twins are fraternal. One female, one male. The boy is slightly bigger than his sister, but not enough that it’s abnormal. Sometimes, one twin takes more than the other to the point of malnutrition, but that does not appear to be the case here, both are healthy—”

“That's more than enough, Emdee,” Padmé interrupted. “Thank you.”

 _One female, one male,_ the words repeated themselves over and over in his brain, before the rest of the Emdee’s speech settled in. “Wait, no, not enough. Our…” he swallowed the lump in his throat. “...daughter is at risk of suffering of malnutrition? If she is at risk, we need to know and we also need to take measures,” was he going to lose _another_ daughter? Was the Force going to be that cruel to him? He knows his past and the amount of innocent blood that stains his hands, but the Force could punish him and not the innocent lives around him.

“It is only a few ounces, your majesty,” the Emdee protested, its poor circuits clearly working overtime to defend itself against the Emperor’s wrath. “There is no great risk, as far as all previously recorded cases have shown.” Padmé buried her face in her hands, hating the droid for having said anything beyond the genders, and hating herself for not stopping it sooner.

“From now on, she’s monitored every week,” he spoke, his tone clearly not leaving any room for discussion. “Does the due date remain the same?”

“It does, your majesty.”

“Twins have a higher risk of being born before their due dates, did you take that into consideration?”

“Of course, your majesty, and there will be a delivery room prepared at all times for the last projected month of the pregnancy, to allow for that possibility.”

“What are the risks my wife is taking during the labor for twins?” Vader had read about twin pregnancies and about the labor women went through, and some studies did not help to ease his mind. At all.

“Anakin,” Padmé groaned, finally lowering her hands so that she could look at him in exasperation. “Please, this is only putting more stress on me. I know it’s coming from a place of love, but can you calm down a little?”

He didn’t want to calm down because he was already calm. All he wanted was to know that the medcenter at the Palace was prepared for when the labor happened and for every possible scenario that could occur. “I just want to be sure this incompetent medical team is prepared for whatever happens when the children are born,” he scowled. “I’m not taking any risks. Not with you.”

“Not with me, or not with another daughter?” she asked sharply.

“Not with any of you,” he replied in a clipped tone. “I’m ensuring your safety and well being and you can’t blame me for that. If there’s a risk that one of our babies can suffer from malnutrition, we have to keep a close eye on them and if there are risks to be taken in consideration for when the labor happens, we should be prepared and not _wing it_!”

“I am not suggesting that we _wing it!”_ she argued. “But I think you’re being overly paranoid! Yes, there are risks, there are always risks, we both know that! But you’re letting them paralyze you and rule you!”

Vader looked at her for a long moment, before he sat back down on his seat and motioned for the Emdee to finish the appointment. He crossed his arms over his chest, still with a scowl on his face. She was right. His fears were paralyzing him-- _Anakin_.As Vader, he would never allow himself to lose control to his emotions. As great as Emperor Skywalker sounded, it couldn’t happen.

“You’re being such a… such a _Sith_ right now!” she blurted out furiously, pushing the scanner out of the way and storming out of the examination room as she did up her dress.

He watched her storm out, frozen in place. He was just concerned. For her health, for their children’s lives, he didn’t mean any harm or to upset her. Slowly, he stood from his seat. They haven’t had a fight...a _real_ fight in months! As he got out into the hallway he was unsure if he should follow her or give her space. He did, however, need to know if she was alright, so he decided that he would search for her.

Padmé had gone to find Amee, who had just been putting Syalies down for his nap but had come to accept her role as the Empress’ pregnancy expert, and immediately gestured to the couch. “What happened?”

Padmé collapsed on the plush cushions with a huff. “It’s twins. A boy and a girl. And apparently one of them is slightly smaller than the other, and the Emdee wouldn’t shut up, so now Anakin’s paranoid that one of them is going to starve the other, and he’s—”

“Padmé, slow down and breathe.”

“No! I don’t want this to be the next four months of my life! I’ll suffocate!”

“It was exactly the same way with Sy’s father. Men always get paranoid about pregnancies because it’s such a foreign experience to them,” Amee told her as she poured out two glasses of water and grabbed a few of the Dagobah mud cakes Padmé had been craving of late. “He means well.”

“I know that, but he’s acting like I don’t care at all!”

“He doesn’t mean it like that,” Amee chided in softly. “I’ll go ahead and find him, get some sense into him,” she smiled and turned to leave. As she stepped outside her bedroom, she almost collided with the Emperor. “I was going to look for you.”

“I figured she would come here,” Vader mumbled. “I take it she told you?”

“That you basically acted like you’re the only one who cares about the babies?” His eyes widened. “Or that you didn’t even show a sign of emotion when the genders of the babies were revealed?”

“I... I never said she didn’t care and obviously, I don’t think that.” Vader’s shoulders dropped forward. “I’m just concerned. She’s four months along. They have started kicking. We’ve had the gender appointment...I’m waiting for it to all fall apart like it did before. We’d barely found out it was a girl before we were losing her,” he said quietly.

“Are you enjoying anything about this pregnancy?” Amee asked quietly.

Vader kept quiet.

“She might not see it, but all of us notice how on edge you look. At every strange thing that happens, you gain one gray hair!” she exclaimed. “This is one of the most wonderful moments a couple can share. Don’t waste it on worrying yourself to death. She’s healthy. The babies are healthy. It’s normal for one twin to be bigger than the other,” she smiled. “Go on inside and apologize.”

“Thanks, Amee,” he mumbled as he pushed the door to her bedroom open. “For a woman you wanted out of our lives two months ago, you’ve become very close,” he opened with a joke, trying...well, trying not to be a _Sith._

“She’s supportive,” Padmé said through a mouthful of cake, clearly still sulking. “And she knows what it’s like. Oh, by the way, your son and daughter are kicking me again, and it does actually hurt this time. Because their father’s a paranoid brat who doesn’t trust me. Like a million little blaster bolts on my stomach.”

“I’m sorry if I haven’t been supportive,” he said, taking the hint. Vader sat by her side on the couch. “I’m sorry that instead of being supportive, I’m being the source of your every worry,” he added. Placing a hand on her stomach, he just carefully reached out to the vibrant force signatures. They were agitated by their mother’s current state and he did his best to soothe them. “They’ll be good now that their father's just apologized for how he acted. Also, I think they’re just happy we finally know it’s a he and a she and they can get proper names besides being called _Skybabies,_ ” Vader added. He reached up to hide a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I trust you, love. I promise from now on, I’ll behave. This promise I will keep.”

 _“_ I'll forgive you and believe you on one condition.”

“Everything. I’ll do everything.”

“You have to be the one to name our daughter.”

“What? Me?” He asked, tensing up. “I don’t think I’m good with n-names, I wouldn’t k-know…” he stuttered. “I couldn’t take the joy of naming your daughter away from you. It’s something that you’ve always wanted.”

“Anakin.” She put down her plate and took his face in her hands. “It has to be you. I’m worried for the both of you. Worried because it seems as if you think she has to replace Cordé in your heart, rather than allowing space for both of them. And that’s not fair to _either_ of them. It’s not fair that we’ll never get to have Cordé grow up and be ours, but it’s also not fair if we make this new daughter grow up in the shadow of a sister she’ll never get the chance to know. It doesn’t have to be today or tomorrow, but it would make me happy, Ani. Please.”

It was the first time they’d openly discussed Cordé and it hurt as bad as the day he lost her. He turned away from her, eyes stinging with unshed tears as he thought about the plans he had made for Cordé, whenever he allowed himself happy thoughts during the time Padmé was pregnant for the first time, that he never had the chance to fulfill.

“You’re allowed to grieve her,” Padmé whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder as best she could with the twins protruding as they were. “But if you let that grief keep holding you back, Sidious wins, my love. Even in death, he keeps holding power over us, and I don’t want that.”

“I’ll think of something,” he whispered. His trouble of letting go of Cordé’s memory was going to ruin the new memories he could have with this daughter and he couldn’t allow that to happen, he couldn’t be a good father this way. Padmé was right and one did not replace the other. Sometimes he just felt he owed so much more to Cordé...from the moment of her conception to the reason she didn’t get to live.

“I love you so much,” she murmured back. “I hope you know that.”

Vader nodded slowly and mutely. “I...I have to go,” he cleared his throat and stood up, discreetly cleaning his cheeks. “I promised Dara that I would assist her with contacting the families of the children.”

“Alright. Let me know if you need any help, I’m going to be in my office, planning out the next four months of Senate meetings so that they won’t conflict with my pregnancy. And at some point, we should see about a press conference to officially announce that. And about the children, getting them out on the HoloNet might yield more results,” Padmé suggested, knowing not to push any further on the subject of names.

“I’ll have Dara to take care of that. Both the press conference and getting the help of the HoloNet,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “I’ll see you at dinner,” he said before leaving the room. Outside he took a deep, shuddering breath. _Pull yourself together._ As he closed his eyes for a few brief moments, he thought himself stable enough to meet Dara and put aside the search for a girl’s name.


	33. Negotiation

Padmé didn’t bring up names again for the next few weeks, just went through the weekly check-ups Vader had insisted on. The twins seemed to sense both their parents’ distress and had taken it out on their mother’s stomach, making it very hard for her to keep food down. She was just emerging from the fresher in her office when she saw Dormé smiling at the door. “What is it?”

“Senator Vidatine, the new representative of the Chommell Sector is here to see you, your Majesty.”

“Eirtaé’s here?” All sense of regality went out the window immediately. “Show her in, Dormé, what are you waiting for?” The handmaiden giggled and opened the door, allowing her blonde former colleague to enter.

“Your Majesty.” Eirtaé bowed respectfully, and Padmé slowly made her way to her friend to embrace her.

“Oh, none of that, I’m just so happy to see you! And you look wonderful, being a Senator suits you.”

“You left very big shoes to fill, but I do my best,” replied Eirtaé, ever the proper society girl. “There’s something of an urgent matter I need your help with, back at my apartments, if you don’t mind.”

“Urgent?” Padmé repeated warily. “Eirtaé, please tell me you’re not involved with anything that would get you arrested if my husband found out—”

“I withdrew any involvement with such people as soon as your engagement was announced, Padmé, it’s nothing like that,” Eirtaé moved to reassure her. “But it’s definitely something you need to see to believe.”

The cryptic way her friend was talking kept Padmé on edge, but she didn’t have anything else scheduled for the day, and she trusted Eirtaé. “Alright,” she said, signaling Dormé to get her cloak. “Show me.”

* * *

Amee was walking the halls with her datapad in hand, reviewing the references Padmé had sent for designing the nursery when she noticed Anakin sitting in the gardens, his back to her. Even without the Force, it was easy to tell that he was clearly upset about _something._

For a very long time, Vader had avoided the gardens but lately, he couldn’t help to visit his daughter’s grave once a day, without his wife’s knowledge. Their little fight a couple of weeks ago, due to the gender of the children, and then her request for him to choose their daughter’s name... it had left the Emperor feeling more distant than what a man with an expecting wife should. He wished he could hide his stress better for Padmé’s sake, but she had come to know him and to be able to read him like an open book. The distress was making her nausea worse and he hated himself for that.

“A credit for your thoughts?” Amee’s voice startled him out of his daydream.

“Oh, it’s worth much more than that,” he replied quietly.

Amee sat by his side on the stone bench. They were in front of a small grave and she didn’t need to be told who was there.

“You need to let her go,” Amee said, her voice very soft, after a few minutes of silence.

“Don’t you think I know that?” Vader snapped.

“That attitude also needs to be let go of,” Amee retorted, unbothered. “I respect that you’re still grieving your daughter, but you have two _living_ children that will very soon come to this Galaxy, needing their father in his full emotional capacity.”

“I know, Amee, it’s just that I’m stuck. I haven’t been able to fully process what happened. I failed her so badly. You don’t...you don’t know the _full_ story, so you don’t know the regret that eats me alive every day. I want to be the best father for the twins, I swear. I want to not _dread_ having another daughter. I wish it was simple.”

“It won’t ever be simple. Or easy. I can’t begin to imagine what pain her loss might have caused, so I’m not going to pretend I understand. Only someone that went through it, can,” Amee sighed, laying a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it. “Whatever happened before, it’s in the past. Your future is much brighter now. Padmé asked you to name the baby girl, have you come up with anything?”

“I might have,” Vader replied with a sigh. “I’m still thinking it over.”

Amee nodded in silence, glancing up to the little grave, she smiled. “You know one thing?” Vader looked at her, curious. “I bet she and your Mom are having a great time.”

He pulled back, blinking at her. “My Mom?”

“Think about it,” her smile widened. “Do you think your Mother would leave her grandchild alone? Never! I’m sure Cordé is being well taken cared of. By Shmi.”

“I...I never thought of it like that,” Vader said quietly. He wanted it to make sense, it would help close the wound on his heart over the loss of a baby he never got to hold.

“I don’t know a lot about how the Force works, but if you search for answers...you might realize both of them are at peace and you can let them go,” Amee said as she stood to leave. “Think about that, Anakin,” she squeezed his shoulder one last time, before leaving him to his thoughts.

 _The Force works in cruel and mysterious ways,_ Vader wanted to answer. What Amee told him, left him deep in thought. He wanted to raise the twins in the best environment possible and he wanted to give them the father they deserved. To search the Force for something like this, it required a certain Meditating was always hard for him. He was unable to concentrate and be still for long periods of time and it was not something Sidious would encourage, which could also mean he should start doing it.

Vader wondered what his Mother would say to him. What would she do? Deep in his heart, he knew the answer.

Taking a deep breath, he placed a single flower, that he had been twirling around in his hand, on Cordé’s grave. Standing up, he left in search of his wife. He had a name.

* * *

It was surreal to be back in the penthouse of 500 Republica. Everywhere Padmé looked, there were faint reminders of her old life, including the very spot where her husband had tied her up and prepared to assassinate her before extorting marriage out of her instead.

They had both been so different then. She felt— she _hoped_ the changes in them had been for the better but it was such a subjective thing.

“Padmé?” Eirtaé’s voice broke her concentration. “In here,” the blonde urged, gesturing to one of the inner rooms that did not feature quite as many windows. And the moment Padmé stepped into the room, she could see why. But she was still working on believing it.

There were three people in the room. Perched on the couch was a red-haired boy who looked to be a few years younger than Dara. But it was the other two occupants, undoubtedly his parents, that had Padmé speechless.

“It's been a long time,” said Obi-Wan Kenobi simply. Beside him, Satine Kryze squeezed his hand.

Padmé braced herself against the wall, needing the extra support. “You died. You both died on Mandalore.”

“Surely you realize you aren't the only royal who has used decoys, Padmé,” Satine chided gently. “It broke my heart to leave my home, but we made a choice, and I cannot regret it now.”

The twins quivered at the sense of their mother’s distress and confusion, making her pray her husband would not sense them and come running. Their current arrangement did _not_ look good, considering the lightsaber at Obi-Wan’s hip. “You could all be arrested for being here, Jedi are still considered enemies of the state,” she warned.

“I am not your enemy, Padmé and I do not want to be your husband’s enemy. If the Force is right, of course,” Obi-Wan reassured her.

“We come in peace, we don’t want to start a conflict,” Satine added. “We knew we could come to you first, before showing up at the Palace unannounced.”

“My parents haven't done anything wrong,” their son added. “The Emperor is the one who—”

“The _previous_ Emperor, Korkie,” Obi-Wan corrected his son.

“It's still his fault,” Korkie muttered stubbornly. “You said so.”

“Sometimes I’m wrong,” Obi-Wan said. “Your husband, Padmé, he’s committed to changing his Sith ways, isn’t he?”

“I want to believe that,” she confessed hesitantly. “He took it very poorly when I used it as an insult after—” She stopped, realizing that the circumstances of that incident were too personal, even with old friends. “He’s definitely not the same man he was when Sidious was alive. I want to believe that he’s left the Sith behind altogether, but he doesn’t seem to want to let go of the name Vader.”

“But it’s enough that he wouldn’t leave a child fatherless, isn’t it?” Satine asked. “We saw the news about the children he’s trying to reunite with their families, the ones that were taken by the Inquisitors. That’s why we came here, Obi-Wan said it’s a sign.”

“If it’s really what you want, I will take you to him, but I can’t make any other promises,” Padmé warned, cradling her stomach to keep the twins calm. “And I suggest you give me the lightsaber now, Obi-Wan. It’s the best thing you can do to show him you’re not an enemy.”

Obi-Wan hesitated. In so many years, even after his death was faked, he had never separated himself from his lightsaber. A lightsaber was a Jedi’s life and that advice, he could never ignore. It had kept him and his family safe.

“Ben,” Satine called him gently. “You said it yourself. There was a change in the Force. There were signs. We need to take a leap of faith here, and trust Padmé. She’s right. If we arrive and you have your lightsaber, the Emperor might see you as a threat.”

“Besides, if he tries something, we know you can kick his ass, Dad,” Korkie grinned.

Obi-Wan laughed gently at his son’s encouragement and removed the lightsaber from his belt. “As soon as he sees I’m not a threat, I want this back,” he told Padmé, extending her the lightsaber.

“You have my word.” Padmé took the weapon cautiously. It was heavier than she'd thought. “I just hope this works out. I don't need more stress.”

“Am I still in trouble?” Eirtaé asked dryly from the door. Padmé had almost forgotten her.

“That remains to be seen. But I'll do what I can to protect all of you. Now, will someone please help me walk back to the speeder? I have two babies in here, you know.”

Obi-Wan stepped forward to help her into the speeder, Korkie and Satine following them. “I sincerely hope you are right about your husband, Padmé,” he said quietly as he climbed after her into the speeder. “Otherwise, I will need that lightsaber much sooner than what I want.”

* * *

Vader was apprehensive when he was told his wife had left the Palace with one of her handmaidens, apparently to visit one of her old friends, Senator Vidatine. He was uneasy as the Force looked like it was trying to warn him of something. He paced the length of his office. Padmé didn’t usually leave the palace without warning him, especially since she was pregnant. Was there something wrong? Had his recent behavior become too much for her?

“Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived and is waiting for you at the throne room,” Rex announced and Vader relaxed, but only slightly.

As he rushed towards the throne room, he felt something in the Force that made him slow down. Padmé was not alone in the room and whoever was with her, was a powerful Force user and that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He pushed the door and entered, noticing three complete strangers. One of them, a Jedi.

He narrowed his eyes as he turned to look at his wife. “Why is there a Jedi in my throne room?” Vader asked in a clipped tone, eyeing the red-haired man with a carefully trimmed beard, cautiously. His hand twitched to grab his lightsaber, but Padmé and a young kid were present. Through the Master and Apprentice bond, he called for Dara. She would arrive in minutes.

“I am no more a Jedi than you are a Sith, your majesty,” the man replied with far more patience than might have been expected, “and I am not here to fight you.”

Padmé held up what must have been the Jedi’s lightsaber. “This is Obi-Wan Kenobi. He and his master were responsible for helping me liberate Naboo during the Trade Federation’s occupation. And his wife, Satine Kryze of Mandalore, and their son, Korkie. They’re not here as enemies, just hear him out, please. And give me your saber too, I’m not letting this turn into a duel.” She held out her hand to him expectantly. “Come on, hand it over.”

Vader eyed them warily and then at his wife’s expecting hand. His eyes danced from one to another, as he thought about his best options. The man seemed relatively calm for the situation he was in. After all, Sith and Jedi were natural enemies and polar opposites, but like he said, he was no more a Jedi, then he was a Sith, and Vader had lost a lot of what made him a Sith.

“Anakin, the lightsaber,” Padmé said again, her foot tapping beneath the billowing skirts that covered her stomach. “ _Now._ ”

He unclipped the weapon from his belt and passed it over to his wife. “You are lucky I trust you with my life,” he muttered. Not that he actually needed the lightsaber to defend himself, he was pretty agile with the Force. He had choked plenty of men with just his fist and the use of the Force. “Apparently,” he turned to Obi-Wan. “I’m listening.”

“We fled Mandalore during the Imperial Siege Sidious waged,” Obi-Wan explained, glancing over at Padmé in surprise at just how much influence the tiny woman seemed to have over the most powerful man in the galaxy. “Since then, I’ve been shielding us, in case the Inquisitors came for me, or for Korkie. Most of that time has been spent with my own family, on Stewjon. But in my meditations, I have been sensing a growing change in the Force for nearly a year. I was not sure what it meant until we saw the HoloNet broadcast announcing your intention to return the children stolen by the Inquisitors. It’s you.”

Vader, who had moved to sit on his throne, listened intently until his last sentence. “Me?” He asked, surprised. “You think I have changed... the Force?” the Emperor frowned. “The announcement was the right thing to do by the children. They had families who missed them and who wanted them back. Unlike the Order of the Jedi, who could care less if a child needs his parents,” he quirked one eyebrow.

“I have not been a member of the Order since it fell,” Kenobi replied coolly. “But my master, Qui-Gon Jinn, believed in the prophesied _Chosen One_ , who would bring balance to the Force. And the signs I’ve observed point to that being you.”

He stiffened at the Master’s name. “Qui-Gon Jinn… wasn’t he Dooku’s Padawan?” He asked coldly. “I _am_ the Chosen One. Of the _Sith_. At least, it was what Sidious told me ever since he took me in after your Master’s Master murdered my Mother in cold blood, in front of her nine-year-old son,” he hissed, gripping the arms of the throne.

“But Dooku left the Order!” It was the boy, Korkie, who spoke. “That was when the Order started to falter! He’d been the Padawan of Grand Master Yoda himself, his departure hit everyone hard and no one knew why he left, but it was right after the Blockade of Naboo ended and Master Jinn was _killed_ by a Sith!”

“Korkie, hush,” his mother scolded, pulling her son close with worry clear on her face. As if she feared his outburst would bring Vader’s wrath down on him.

Vader just turned to glance at the boy’s outburst. Clearly, he was as strong in the Force as his father. “My Mother was killed during the Blockade. I remember it. Dooku was a Jedi, he was sent by the Order,” he spoke towards Obi-Wan. “I know that before me, Sidious had an apprentice. Darth Maul. I also am aware that he was the one to kill Qui-Gon Jinn. I heard him speak to Sidious, one night,” heard him...eavesdropped was more accurate. “And Dooku...well, he had the honor of being my first kill,” he said coldly.

“I will not deny if Dooku did such things, but I promise you, it would not have been a mission given to him by the Jedi Council,” Obi-Wan insisted. “Jedi were never in the business of killing innocents. Though it would seem advantageous for Sidious to have made you believe that.”

Vader leaned back in his throne, blank faced. It was Dooku. Dooku had been the apprentice Sidious had kept during his training. He was never ready, so Sidious needed a lapdog to do his dirty work and after Maul’s death, Dooku had taken his place. And if Dooku had been Sidious apprentice, if what the Jedi was saying was true...then Sidious had manipulated both his life and Padmé's from the very beginning. Dooku had murdered his Mother over Sidious’ orders. It gave him peace to know he had ended the lives of both men. But Padmé was right, Sidious’ actions were still ruling a part of his life, his fears, and Vader had never been more ready to let it all go then that moment.

“Darth Tyrannus,” he said. Vader remembers hearing the name across his journeys. Now, he knows who it belongs to. “It was Dooku’s Sith name,” he added. “If what you’re saying is true...well, what matters is that I ended both of their lives,” both his Mother and daughter got revenge over their unfair deaths. “But what do you want from me now?”

“I would like to know what the future is going to hold for my son and other Force sensitive children. And what _you_ plan for the fate of the Force as a whole, now that you’re the Emperor. You’re not a Sith, that much is clear, but you are also not a Jedi. What does that mean?”

“How can you be so sure I am not a Sith anymore?” It was the first person to put it so bluntly. Padmé had given indications, but since the last time she called him out on his Sith attitude, he was not so sure anymore about what she thought of him.

“Because of her.” Obi-Wan indicated Padmé. “You love her. I can sense it, from you, from her, from the children she carries. And Sith know no love.”

Vader’s eyes drifted towards his wife and the swell of her stomach. He did love them. More than they would probably ever realize. “I do,” he nodded, smiling towards her. “But I still haven’t come up with anything for the Force sensitive children. While I know it’s a situation I should address soon, rather than later, I am just lost on how exactly I am going to accomplish that.”

“Then let me offer my services,” Obi-Wan extended a hand to him. “I am not asking you to reinstate the Order, but we were each raised in the way of one side of the Force. Perhaps we are meant to find a middle ground together. A balanced path for future generations.”

The Emperor looked at the extending hand then at his wife’s hopeful gaze. It would prove that he was changing. It was a final nail in Darth Vader’s coffin. It was what she needed to be truly happy, for him to let go of the monster that had hurt them. Turning back to Obi-Wan, Vader rose from the throne and accepted his hand. “For the balance of the Force,” he nodded.

“Did I miss everything?” Dara asked as she rushed through the doors to join them. “What's happening? Why does Pad- I mean, the Empress have two lightsabers? Who are these people?”

Vader laughed at her confusion. “Maybe the Empress wants to know a trick or two in dual lightsaber fights,” he joked lightly. “Snips, these are Obi-Wan Kenobi and his family, Satine and Korkie,” he introduced them. “This is my apprentice,” he paused. “Ahsoka Tano.”

Dara was going to speak before she realized he’d used her real name. A small, genuine smile appeared on her lips. “Are you giving me permission to discard my Sith name?”

He nodded after a moment. “If that’s what you want. Obi-Wan offered his services to help with the force sensitive children on the Galaxy. Including the ones you rescued,” Vader explained. “We’ve come to the agreement that...we should work for a...how did you so eloquently put it?” He turned to Obi-Wan.

“A balanced path for future generations,” Obi-Wan answered with a crooked smile.

“It has to start with us,” Vader turned to his apprentice. “So, it’s your choice.”

Ahsoka looked incredibly proud and excited, nodding vigorously. “I want to help. With the children,” she stated. “Anything I can. I could be a teacher. Me! A Master!”

“Hold on, you’re not _that_ ready,” Vader gave her a look. “I’m sure you’ll be a great Master with time,” he patted her shoulder.

“I’d certainly trust you to teach my children,” Padmé added with a smile as she carefully moved to return the lightsabers to their owners. “We can't have the twins twisting their father around their fingers during training, after all.”

Satine politely cleared her throat. “I'm glad we've sorted this out peacefully, but that does lead into another matter of great importance to me, your majesty. My home.”

Vader’s smile was sly as he turned to his wife with a wicked gleam in his eyes and winked, before addressing the former Duchess. “I will be...delighted to reinstate you as the ruler of the system of Mandalore, but regarding your home and given that my wife and I did honeymoon there, and we had plenty of fun in all of its compartments...do you really want it back?” He couldn’t help the cheeky grin he was baring, even if Ahsoka immediately gagged and covered her ears. “Padmé and I won’t mind. Will we, Angel?”

Padmé was blushing bright crimson and glaring at him furiously, but Satine had a much more collected response.

“After it's been thoroughly cleaned and restored by the Empire as compensation, yes, I would like to have my ancestral seat returned to me and to my House,” she answered regally. “That won't be a problem, I trust?”

“I see why our wives are very good friends,” Vader said to Obi-Wan, shaking his head with a laugh. Satine and Padmé were able to remain royal no matter the situation at hand. “Yes, Duchess, it will be taken care of,” he assured her. “Meanwhile, you are welcome to stay with us at the Palace. It’s finishing renovations, but our guest wing is mostly done,” he offered. “If you need, we can set up a press conference to revoke your deaths and reinstate your seat in the Mandalore system.”

“That would be appreciated,” Satine agreed with a small smile of her own before adding, “Perhaps your… Apprentice can give us a tour. Senator Vidatine did mention that this was meant to be a day off for Padmé, and I'm sure she'd rather spend it with you.”

“I will be delighted,” Ashoka announced and lead the Kenobi family out of the throne room.

“I never expected my day to turn out like this,” Vader said, turning to his wife, palms on her growing stomach. “Hello little ones,” he said softly and suddenly, there was a commotion inside his wife’s stomach. He smiled. It was always so heartwarming to see that they responded to him. “I think your Mother might be a little upset with me, what do you think?” He asked while eyeing Padmé under his lashes. “Think I should apologize?” He said softly, bending down to kiss her stomach.

“I’m going to _kill_ you once these two are out of me,” she muttered. “I cannot _believe_ you said that to Satine, it was humiliating. But I _am_ grateful that you heard him out.”

He leaned forward and captured her lips in a gentle, long kiss. “I love you and I hope this proves I’ve changed and that I don’t want to behave like a Sith anymore.”

“I already knew that, you nerfherder. You shouldn’t take everything I say when I’m hormonal and tired to heart.”

“These past few weeks have been stressful. I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I promise I’m making it up to you,” he caressed her stomach, feeling a kick. “Hmm, strong,” he mused. “It must be Leia on this side,” Vader whispered against her stomach, kissing it.

“Leia?” Padmé repeated, eyes wide. “You’ve named her?”

He nodded with a big smile. “Think you can tell me my son’s name now?” Vader teased. “I did my part. I’ve named my baby girl.”

“Don’t I get to know what it means?”

“It means something that you plus these two little ones have brought into my life,” he said softly. “It means _hope._ ”

“It’s perfect,” Padmé said, beaming. “And I think it’s going to go very well with her brother’s.”

“That is…?” He pressured, anxious to know what his son would be called.

“ _Light_. Or rather, Luke,” she answered with a smile. “Leia and Luke Skywalker.”

Vader’s smile widened. “Our _hope_ and our _light._ I think they are perfect. They are the definition of change that we so badly need,” he cradled her face in his hands and kissed her passionately. “I love you. I love you so _kriffing_ much.”

“I love you too, Anakin Skywalker,” Padmé said with a grin. “Even if we did have a rough start.”

“I want to do something. As a part of my long term plan of making it up to you for how I behaved for so long,” he caressed her cheeks. “Do you know what it is?”

“Giving me a foot rub at the end of the day?”

“Besides that,” he chuckled.

“I don’t know, what?”

He paused, staring deeply into her eyes. “I’m going to publicly drop my Sith name and reinstate the House of Skywalker as the Imperial family.”

“Oh… Oh, my goodness.”

“This way, Vader will no longer be part of our lives.”

“Thank you, Anakin. You don’t know how much this means to me. I’m so proud of you.” She hugged him awkwardly, and the twins kicked furiously at being squished between their parents, making her laugh. “Sorry, darlings.”

Anakin laughed with her, soothing the twins through their bond. “They feel like they are squished with each other already, we’re making it worse,” he grinned. “I know what it means for us. For our family. I’ll do anything to make you happy.”

“So, that foot rub is still on the table, right?” she asked, looking up at him with big, hopeful eyes.

He just chuckled and nodded.”Yes, my love, anything.”

“Then I’m the luckiest woman in the galaxy.”


	34. Connection

“ _...a few weeks ago, fifteen children were rescued from the Inquisitors and given back to their families. There was an issue that was risen that moment. There are, across the Galaxy, many more force sensitive children that need help, guidance, and children that don’t need to be afraid anymore. I’ve joined forces with friends that will build a new school for these children to learn how to handle their Force gifts. It won’t be a new Order. They won’t become Sith. We are going to fight for a new generation of balanced individuals who will help our Empire thrive. One of the first steps to this change starts with me. I know many of you wonder. Am I a Sith that will, eventually, follow the footsteps of my predecessor or am I really different? I am here to answer that question directly. From now on, the Sith, are eradicated. I am officially retiring the House of Vader, dropping the Sith name I’ve been carrying for seventeen years. From now on, it will be the House of Skywalker that will run the Empire…_ ”

Anakin shut the HoloNet, tired of hearing his speech for the umpteenth time! He needed a distraction, something to take his mind off the current issues and to blow off some steam. As he left the office, he almost ran into Obi-Wan.

“You're in a rush,” the former Jedi noticed.

“Do you want to blow off some steam? Since Ahsoka started making arrangements for the school, she’s been missing our training sessions and I could use the distraction,” Anakin suggested.

“That would be appreciated, actually. I feel quite useless around Padmé and Satine, they just keep talking about what to plan for Mandalore. It probably does not help that your wife is feeling restless with only a month left,” Obi-Wan replied. “Lead the way, your majesty.”

“You’re not the only one feeling useless,” Anakin replied as he headed towards the training rooms. “A month left and I can’t help her with anything. She snaps at me if I treat her like a child, then she pouts when I don’t. I love her, I love seeing her pregnant, but I _can’t_ wait for Luke and Leia to be born and her hormonal levels are back to normal,” he confessed.

“Which could be any day.”

“I’m hoping these two stick to their scheduled due date,” he made a face. “Fewer risks for their health and their Mother’s well being too,” he entered the room where he usually trained with Ahsoka and stood in the middle, removing his lightsaber from his belt. He eyed the hilt of the weapon. It felt...wrong. It has been throwing off his technique for a few weeks now, and he had yet to realize what was wrong with it. It felt...heavier, uncomfortable in his hand.

“What’s wrong?” The Force didn’t really leave room for secrets between two men as sensitive as they were, and Obi-Wan was peering at him very intently. “The saber works, does it not?”

Anakin nodded. “It does, yes, it’s nothing,” he shook his head. He would try to tinker with the hilt later. He turned it on, the red blade glowing his side of the room. “Ready?” It was a new opponent and Anakin was grateful. Obi-Wan had a different education in different forms of lightsaber combat, which gave Anakin a new insight.

Obi-Wan tensed noticeably at the red light the saber cast before igniting his own, a clear, peaceful blue. “Ready,” he confirmed, taking a stance with his left hand extended forward, his feet spread wide, and his saber raised above his head.

Suddenly, both sabers were colliding. Red versus blue. Anakin noticed Obi-Wan was a fan of Form III, while himself preferred the Form V variants, due to their aggressive and strength oriented techniques. It was not long into the battle he found himself in disadvantage. Obi-Wan was a worthy opponent, highly skilled. He had to give him props for that. Even the time he spent in hiding hadn’t hindered the former Jedi’s skills or if this was a _rusty_ Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin could only imagine how great he would be once he had regained his previous stamina. For the first time in  _forever,_ he was breaking a sweat, and losing his footing. Gladly, Ahsoka was not around. He would never live this down.

Obi-Wan must have sensed how he was failing, because he started moving faster, with more elaborate strikes that were Form IV, pushing Anakin further to the edge of the training mats. “If I win, do I get to be Emperor?” he joked with a little smile.

“Shut up,” Anakin scowled, breathless, as he began using movements of the Djem So variant, using brute strength to try and gain some advance on his opponent. Obi-Wan only smiled, pulling back with his non-dominant hand to gather up the Force in a push that knocked Anakin flat on his back.

“You didn’t answer the question.”

Anakin’s lightsaber flew to the other side of the room, red blade disappearing. He was stunned. _I lost?_ He stood on his back staring up at the ceiling. Something was _seriously_ wrong with him. He hadn’t lost a duel since he had killed Dooku. The Force, his lightsaber, it all began to fail him the moment he decided to shed the Darth Vader identity and he wondered if Anakin Skywalker was nothing but a former slave boy who could tinker with droids and make speeches that would go on to be repeated for _months_ on the HoloNet. He closed his eyes, frustrated. Getting up, he Force-threw his lightsaber against one of the columns in the room, making the hilt shatter and the crystal, break. Storming out, he left Obi-Wan still without an answer.

The former Jedi was not one to give up, summoning nearly every piece of the saber to his hand as he followed after the Emperor. The crystal he left on the ground. “Anakin, wait.”

He was halfway down the hall when he heard Obi-Wan’s voice. “No, you’re not the Emperor,” he answered with a scowl.

“That wasn’t what I was going to say.”

“Then what?” Anakin stopped turning to face him. “You want to gloat?”

“I want to make a suggestion.” Reaching inside his tunic, Obi-Wan produced an untainted kyber crystal, holding it out to Anakin. “Perhaps the problem was that you were using a Sith blade when you are no longer a Sith.”

Anakin felt the pull of the crystal. It was a white-blueish color and so different from the kyber crystal Sidious had given him when he first constructed the lightsaber. He took the crystal from Obi-Wan and stared at it. “Do you always carry a spare with you?” Anakin asked, a slightly teasing tone to his voice.

“No, I was saving that for Korkie, since I believed we would never be able to venture to Ilum for him to find his own crystal,” Obi-Wan corrected. “But that’s no longer the case, and it seems to be calling to you anyway.”

“If you were saving this for your son, Obi-Wan, I can’t accept it.”

“You can’t go running off to Ilum to find your own crystal, not with Padmé so close to her due date, and you need a blade in the meantime,” Obi-Wan insisted. “I’ll take you both there myself after the twins are born if you wish, but for now, use this one. And I’m sure Korkie will think it’s very ‘cool’ that the Emperor is using his crystal.”

Anakin laughed, nodding. “Thank you, Obi-Wan,” he closed his fingers around this crystal. “I’ll work on the hilt as soon as I can,” he added. “Talking about Korkie, I believe he finds Ahsoka _much_ cooler than me. I hope he knows my Captain has his eye on him?” He grinned.

“It’s a crush, boys get them. He’ll grow out of it,” Obi-Wan stammered, slightly flustered by the mention of his prepubescent son’s love life. “Don’t tell me Padmé’s the only woman you’ve ever had _any_ attraction to.”

“That’s a sore subject to my wife,” he winced. “I’ve had other women in my bed before her and she gets sulky anytime anyone points that out because I have been the only man she has been with. However, she is the only woman I’ve loved, love and will love for the rest of my life. Besides my daughter, obviously.”

“I do remember something on the HoloNet about an ex-boyfriend of hers being executed for treason.”

“Don’t start,” Sabé warned as she passed by with her arms full of boxes. “The last thing she needs to do is hear about Rush Clovis or how your marriage started, she’s already in a bad mood because apparently all her jewelry doesn’t fit her or doesn’t suit her now that she’s a shaak.”

“I hope you like the twins, your majesty, because she may not ever want to have children again after this,” Dormé interjected. “She’s just miserable right now.”

“I did the Galaxy a favor by getting rid of Rush Clovis,” Anakin muttered to Obi-Wan. “What are the chances of her not noticing I’m avoiding her emotional outbursts?” He turned to the handmaidens. “Last time, she yelled at me for trying to help her _off_ the bed. Then she cried because she yelled. I’m miserable too.”

“Oh, she’s noticed. She’s already calling you a liar because you said she’d be the most beautiful shaak and now you’re avoiding her.”

“I’m avoiding her because I fear for my life, not because she’s not a beautiful shaak--I mean, woman. _Stop calling her a shaak_!”

“She’s calling herself that,” Sabé corrected. “We just picked up on it. But it wouldn’t hurt if you were to give her a present, something to let her know she’s still loved.”

“Don’t encourage the name and the last present I bought got thrown at my head.”

“In her defense, you bought her a dress she can’t wear for the next four to five months,” Dormé quipped. “It takes time to lose the weight you gain during pregnancy, both Amee and Satine said so.”

“Have you tried jewelry?” Obi-Wan suggested.

“Apparently, her ring size went up,” Anakin sulked. “I got hit with a diamond and those things _hurt_ when they hit your forehead.”

“So get her a necklace with a longer chain. Something that’s personal. That way it won’t feel like a bribe,” Dormé explained. “Come on, Sabé, we have to start setting everything up. She wants us to sell a lot of her old things to help raise money for the children whose parents still haven’t been found. Don’t worry, we rescued the ones that have sentimental value.”

“Sentimental value?” Anakin repeated.

“A family heirloom?” Obi-Wan said. “Something that can only be hers. With special meaning.”

“I was a slave as a boy, Obi-Wan, I don’t have heirlooms. The one that I had was Threepio and she already has him. Then there’s this insignificant—  _I got it_. Thanks, Obi-Wan,” he slapped the older man’s shoulder, before running off.

“You're welcome, I suppose,” Obi-Wan called after him, rubbing at his now aching shoulder.

* * *

Entering their bedroom was like walking into a wild animal’s cage. Anakin did it quietly and mutely. He had in his pocket something that could save him from his wife’s wrath and make her happy. Or so he hoped. It was nothing of value. It was something that he had kept because of, well, sentimental value.

Padmé was curled up in bed, hugging his pillow over her enormous stomach as she snored softly. She was napping more than half the days away, which had, if nothing else, ended the arguments about decreasing the amount of time she spent in the Senate.

Anakin sat at her side, gently, and touched her shoulder. “Angel?” he called softly. “Angel, I have a gift for you,” he smiled, kissing the curve of her neck. She mumbled something incoherent, but barely stirred otherwise.He kissed her cheek and placed his hand on her stomach. “Come on, love,” he urged softly, dropping feather like kisses all over her exposed skin. Her hand went up to swat at him and hit him squarely in the face.

“Oof,” he pulled back, ending with his ass on the floor. “That wasn’t nice,” his voice was muffled as he rubbed the spot she hit him. “I don’t think I’ll give you my gift now.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled, trying to roll over to look up at him. “Did you say something? I was dreaming of not being a fat, bedridden shaak.”

Anakin climbed up to the bed again. “One, you’re not fat. You’re pregnant with _twins._ Two, you have to stop calling you a shaak. I know you feel...larger, but trust me, you’re beautiful. Three, I was telling you that I have a gift.”

“Ani, not another dress, please.”

“I didn’t buy this gift, I made it.”

From his pocket, he produced a leather cord, with a japor snippet dangling from it. It had some carvings on the japor, and Anakin extended it to Padmé. Her eyes widened as she took it.

“It’s… it’s beautiful,” she whispered, looking up at him with tear-filled brown eyes. “You made this for me?”

“Actually, I made it for my Mom,” he started. “It was her birthday and she never got anything. She always got me _something._ Usually, it was a part for Threepio. One day I found this piece of japor on the shop I worked in and I made the carvings then gave it to her at night. She was _so_ happy. I know it meant a lot to her, she called it her good luck charm, it made her days brighter, so I hope it makes your days brighter too,” he kissed her temple.

“I love it,” Padmé pulled him down to kiss him on the lips before looping the leather around her neck, where it settled on her stomach. “And I think I’m going to need all the luck I can get, considering how these two are making me feel so terrible.”

“They don’t mean it,” Anakin said placing his hand on her stomach. “One more month.”

“That’s forever!” she whined, kicking her feet beneath the covers.

“It’s not, it will pass in a minute and then we’ll have our babies in our arms and we’ll wish we had more time to prepare.”

“Easy for you to say, you’re not the one who always has some form of torment being inflicted on their body.”

“Don’t speak like that, they don’t do it on purpose. They have just...lack of room to move,” Anakin sighed. “But they love you. I can feel it. They love your voice. And those strong kicks? Sometimes it’s because you haven’t addressed them in a while. They get jealous,” he smiled.

“So you take it out on my bladder?” Padmé pouted, rubbing at her stomach. “You two are such little brats.”

A kick. Followed by another. “Yeah, I don’t think they like the name calling,” Anakin snorted.

“I got that.” She pulled open her nightgown so that he could see the purple blush on the lower right-hand side of her stomach. “I don’t know which of them is responsible for this, but it _hurts._ ”

Anakin sighed and bend down to kiss her stomach, soothing the twins to sleep through the Force. “I’m sorry, I wish this was being a good experience and not make you so miserable.”

“If there is a next time, it better be just one baby, do you hear me? Because I—” In the middle of the sentence, she stopped, gripping his arm with a gasp.

“Padmé?” Anakin asked, alarmed.

“I think my water just broke,” she whispered, indicating the darkened spot that was blossoming on her nightgown and the sheets beneath her. “They’re coming.”


	35. Parturition

“I hate you for doing this to me!”

“I know you do, love, I know,” Anakin winced, feeling his hand being crushed by hers. “I love you, though,” he tries as she keeps being the brave woman he knows she is, by delivering their twins. He has a newfound respect for her gender.

“Then you’re… pushing the next one… out!” she screamed. This had been going on for who even knew how many hours. On her other side, Amee passed her another ice chip, the only sustenance Padmé had gotten since Anakin had carried her straight from their bedroom to the medcenter delivery room. The Empress sucked on it for a moment, only to spit the chip out when another contraction hit. “Owwwwww!”

“Trust me, my love, if it was naturally possible, I would, but I’m afraid you’ll have to keep doing this yourself,” he laughed gently.

Anakin bit back a groan as she squeezed his hands with the contraction. “There you go. Breathe in. Breathe out. Good. Good job. Almost there. Almost. Ow. There.”

“Don’t get her hopes up, Ani, we could well be here for a day. Sy took almost two—”

“Not helping!” Padmé shrieked over Amee’s attempt to be useful, gripping her husband’s hand so tightly that she heard something crack. “Please tell me that was Threepio— KRIFF!“ A particularly painful contraction struck and she struggled to get her breath under control. “Do not—” she warned through clenched teeth and hissing breaths “—tell me —to push.”

Anakin groaned in pain as he felt a bone in his hand crack. The pain shot up his wrist and he bit his lower lip. His wife was giving birth to his children, the least he could do was handle a small broken bone…that she kept squeezing. Gathering some courage, and using the Force to disguise the throbbing pain on his hand, he ran his other hand through his wife’s hair, which was sticking to her forehead with the effort she has demanded from her body through the last hours. “You’re doing great.”

Amee checked and grimaced. “I will have to tell you to push, Padmé, I see a head. At my count, you can do it. One, two, three…push!”

Padmé let out the kind of howl one would expect to hear a dying animal giving as she forced herself to follow Amee’s instructions. “I can’t do this—”

“Yes, you can, we’ve got you,” Amee promised. “I see the head now, they’re almost here, one more big push… now.” Padmé’s scream was joined by the shout of the first child, and as the pain subsided, she looked up to see the sticky, squirming form of her child in Amee’s arms. “You’re going to want to take him, Ani, we’ve still got his twin to deliver.”

Padmé gave her husband the briefest of smiles before her contractions set in again and she had to refocus on pushing out the second twin.

Anakin couldn’t see anything else but his son squirming and crying in Amee’s arms. He nodded, too focused on the baby to speak. Amee smiled. “Cut the umbilical cord, so I can deliver his twin,” she said softly, handing him a pair of medical scissors. He cut the link the baby had to his Mother at the same time Amee was placing him on his arms.

It was instinct, the way he held Luke. His cries softened, but he still squirmed, until Anakin adjusted his arms and he seemed to be more comfortable. He was still covered in placenta, and he should have been grossed out, but his son already had his heart and he didn’t care about anything else, until…

“Alright, Padmé, I’m so sorry, you don’t have any time to catch your breath. You need to start pushing again!”

“Noooo, why,” Padmé whined miserably even as she obeyed. “How can _anyone_ do this?”

“It’s awful, I know,” Amee panted. “But trust me, Padmé, the pain and effort are worth it. _Push!”_

Anakin was torn between holding his wife’s hand and holding Luke. He looked down at the baby in his arms. Luke’s big blue eyes were staring right up at him and Anakin smiled at him, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

“Come on, Padmé, you can do this,” he urged. “We already have one. We’re right here.”

“This.  _THIS_ is the worst thing you’ve ever done to me,” Padmé growled. “Worse than threatening my life to get me to marry you.”

Amee nearly choked on her own breath. In the entire time she’d been at the palace, somehow, everyone had managed to overlook  _that_ detail. “I need you to focus. I can see your daughter’s head now, come on, Padmé.”

Anakin chose to overlook his wife’s comment. She was in terrible pain and he was holding his son, proof that no matter how they started, they’d changed and we’re here now, with one miracle in his arms and another one about to be born. “I know you hate me right now, Angel, we can talk about that later,” he said. “After Leia is here. You have to push. For her.”

“You might want to help her a little,” Amee suggested. “You’ve got the Force, why not use it to guide her out?”

The Emperor looked at her in surprise, he hadn’t even thought about that. “I can try,” he nodded and focused on his daughter’s force signature. _Come on, little one, you know you have to leave. Your brother, your Mother and I are right here, waiting for you._

Padmé sobbed in pain and relief as Leia’s little body slipped free, collapsing against the mattress as Amee caught the baby girl. “Is she okay?” she asked hoarsely.

Leia screamed and waved her little arms and legs around, completely displeased at her new surroundings. Her cries lasted longer than Luke’s, who still rested peacefully in his father’s arms. “She’s perfect,” Amee laughed as she cut the umbilical cord and wrapped Leia in a pale pink blanket.

Anakin was speechless as he reached out one hand to hold Leia’s little one. His daughter was perfect. “We have a Princess in our hands,” he whispered as Leia still kicked and screamed. He laughed, tears in his eyes. “They’re both perfect.”

Amee passed Leia into Padmé’s arms. “I’ll give you some time with them and let everyone know you’re alright. Of course, there will still be the afterbirth to deal with, but for right now, you two can just be with your babies.”

“Thank you, Amee,” Padmé said, nuzzling Leia’s sticky forehead. “For everything.”

Anakin sat by Padmé’s side, kissing her forehead. “You did so well, Angel. I’m incredibly proud of you,” he whispered, to not disturb the two infants resting in their arms. “I can’t believe we made these two perfect creatures.”

“I’m just glad it’s over and we finally have them,” she whispered, hugging Leia tightly. “Can I see Luke? I didn’t get a chance earlier.”

He nodded and adjusted their son, so she could see him. “I was so worried. About you. Them. They should have come one month from now.”

“Well, we should let the Emdee come in to take a look at them, and make sure they’re okay, but they did mention that this sort of thing was common for twins,” Padmé pointed out, reaching out to touch Luke’s little cheek. “Oh, you are a pudgy little one, aren’t you, Luke? Who’s my cute little pudgy boy?” she cooed.

“I’ll call them as soon as we’re done gushing over them,” he smiled as Luke pressed his lips together in a pout. “I can already tell he’s going to be very much like you, thankfully,” he whispered, kissing his cheek. “Leia, however,” he turned to look at his baby girl, with eyes fixed on her Mother. “After all that scandal... she’s definitely a Skywalker.”

“Well, obviously. Or is that your way of asking me if I was cheating on you?” she asked with a weak smile.

“Not funny, my love,” he taunted kissing her lips softly. “Are you alright? I mean, I know it’s a stupid question, you just delivered two babies, but…how do you feel? Maybe we should already call the Emdees. For them and for you as well. Amee spoke about the afterbirth.”

“Mostly, I just want to sleep, but yes, the labor isn’t technically over yet until I pass it.” Padmé grimaced. “Do you think you can take both the twins for a bit? Maybe let a few of the Emdees look at them and introduce them to everyone else? Oh, and call my family on Naboo. They should know too.”

“I will, don’t worry,” Anakin said. “Help me with Leia?” he asked, making sure Luke was safely tucked in one of his arms.

“Of course.” Keeping her daughter’s head supported, Padmé reluctantly lifted her up, passing her into Anakin’s hands’ “Have you got her?”

“Yes,” he whispered, looking at his daughter, completely in love. “Hello, sweetheart. You’re so beautiful,” Anakin bent down to kiss her forehead and cheeks. “I love you so much.”

“Should I be jealous?” Padmé joked as she pressed the button on the side of the bed that called for the emdee.

Anakin smiled at her, carefully standing up with both twins in his arms. “Not more jealous than I, because you too have another man in your life,” he teased.

“One who’s much better looking than you,” she countered easily. “Now go, shoo. Let me handle this last part.”

“Only because he’s going to look exactly like me,” Anakin replied and left the room, just in time to see two emdees enter to take care of Padmé. Outside, he was surrounded by Ahsoka, Dormé, Sabé, and Satine. All of them peering in his arms to look at the twins.

“They’re precious!” Ahsoka smiled.

“Look at his little cheeks!”

“Leia is going to look like Padmé, you can already see it.”

“His eyes are so blue!”

“Ladies, could you please let me take my children to see an Emdee?” Anakin interrupted their gushing. “I promise you can continue pampering them after,” he added. Reluctantly, the women stepped away from him. Two Emdees were waiting for Anakin at the medcenter, one for each twin. They were carefully removed from his arms and started to mewl in protest.

 _I’m here, little ones, I’m still here._ He passed through the Force, calming them, so the emdees did their job in peace and thoroughly.

“Do you want to have their midi-chlorian counts taken now, your Majesty?” the Emdee examining Leia asked.

“Master, I just got a comm from the Naberries’ ship,” Ahsoka interrupted, sticking her head in the room. “They’re gonna be here in a few hours. I contacted them as soon as you took Padmé to the medcenter.”

“Thank you, Snips,” Anakin smiled. “Yes, I want to know,” he said to the Emdee. “Ahsoka, can you make sure there’s a wing ready for the Naberries?”

“Of course, Master,” she nodded. “You have some beautiful kids,” Ahsoka smiled and quickly hugged him. “You deserve them,” she kissed his cheek before leaving the medcenter.

Anakin smiled at his apprentice’s gesture, before turning to the emdees. “How are they?”

“In perfect health, your majesty,” one Emdee replied and a weight was lifted from his heart. “Twins are usually born early, we weren’t expecting a lot of risks, and they are absolutely perfect.”

“How about their midi-chlorian count?”

“Around fifteen thousand each, your majesty,” the Emdee replied and Anakin took a deep breath. “As you might know, your majesty, they have…”

“One of the highest amounts recorded, yes.” He was on top of the list, with over twenty-thousand. Their training would start soon, he feared. _Don’t worry, my little ones, I’ll be here through every step of the way._

Luke and Leia chose that moment to start crying again, and the droids started to float towards the door, still holding them.

“Hold on, where are you going with them?” Anakin asked, blocking their path.

“We’re taking them to the Empress. They need to be nursed,” one Emdee explained.

“I’ll take them myself,” Anakin stated. “You’ve done your part.”

The Emdees, knowing they could not go against their Emperor, placed both crying babies on their Father’s arms and Anakin bounced them gently, focusing on getting help from the Force to sustain their weight. “Alright, loves, let’s go back to Mommy,” the cries and mewls stopped as the twins focused on their father’s face.

* * *

Amee and Satine had been with Padmé for the last stretch of the labor, which had proven to be significantly less stressful with the help from the Emdee. Even so, Padmé kept rubbing at her now-deflated stomach, making Satine smile. “Surreal, I know. But you’ll get your figure back with enough work.”

“It’s not that—” Padmé looked up and smiled widely at the sight of her husband returning with their children. “You’re back! Is everything okay? Are they healthy? Oh, give them to me, I missed them so much.”

“They are in perfect health. Just hungry,” Anakin replied. “I’ve must have been gone no more than forty minutes,” he chuckled.

“Just give her one to nurse. Two is highly complicated,” Satine suggested.

“Luke is fussing more than Leia, I guess he’s the hungriest of the two.”

Satine nodded and helped transfer Luke from his father to his mother’s waiting arms. “There we go. Do you want me to help you?”

“I think I can figure out how to feed my own son,” Padmé retorted, undoing the top of her nightgown so that she could put Luke to her breast. He sniffed as his tears died down and latched on eagerly, and Padmé’s eyes widened. “Oh, it tingles… And it hurts a little.”

“Here, let me,” Amee offered, reaching over to adjust Luke’s position in Padmé’s arms. “Better?”

“Much. Thank you. Can you—”

“Leave you two alone with them? Alright. You know where to find us if you need more help.” Amee took Satine by the arm with a smile. “Come on, let’s make sure my son isn’t trying to climb all over yours again.” The two more experienced mothers headed out, leaving the new parents to the new babies.

“Oh, you  _are_ a hungry one, aren’t you, Luke,” Padmé cooed, rubbing at her son’s head as he continued to nurse from her. “Remember to save some for your sister.”

Anakin sat on the bed, by her side, mesmerized by Leia to whom he cooed softly. Her dark brown eyes stared up at him as she held on to his finger tightly. He smiled as she recognized him and felt safe in his arms. “I love you so much, Leia,” he whispered quietly as he traced her cheek softly. “Clearly he has my appetite,” he joked lightly, glancing at his wife. As he saw her, completely in love with their son, he thought about how perfect this moment was for them. They had two little miracles in their arms. It was pure bliss.

“Marry me,” he whispered.

Padmé looked up at him, caught more than a little off guard. “What? We're already married, silly. I _just_ gave birth to your children. Remember?”

Leia fussed and squirmed in her father’s arms and Padmé was immediately distracted. “We’d better switch, I think she wants a turn.”

He nodded and with care, supporting their heads, Anakin took Luke into his arms as Padmé took Leia to feed. Remembering what he read about newborn care, he took Luke to his shoulder and patted his back gently to burp him. “I know we’re already married but what if we had a vow renewal? This time, I’m proposing. Not threatening your life,” he explained. As Luke burped, Anakin adjusted his son’s position in his arms and smiled when he saw his eyes dropping.

“Can we do it _my_ way?” Padmé asked as she positioned Leia the same way she’d been holding Luke a few moments before. “No reporters, no strangers, no dignitaries, just you and me, and the people who matter to us?”

Anakin nodded, smiling. “We can have the wedding that you’ve always wanted.”

“Then yes, you idiot, I’ll marry you again.”

He pursed his lips. “You keep calling me an idiot, I’m going to get offended, eventually,” he teased.

“No, you won’t. And you might be an idiot, but you’re _my_ idiot. And when I say it, I’m saying that I love you.”

“Ah, there is a good explanation,” he leaned forward and kissed her. “Thank you,” Anakin said, pulling back. “For still being here. For them. For not giving up on me.”

“Thank you for proving me wrong,” Padmé replied softly. “And for loving me. Now come here.”

Anakin smiled and leaned forward again, kissing her passionately. There were mewls of protest and he pulled away. Leia was feeding but had an unhappy expression, her little arm coming up to try and reach her Mother’s face. Luke was yawning and the gesture was so simple, so pure, that it made Anakin melt. For the first time in his life, he felt complete.

Unfortunately, the serenity didn’t last very long, because the Naberrie family had arrived without bothering to get settled in, and of course, Ryoo and Pooja were the ones leading the charge. “Can we see?” Pooja asked eagerly, rushing to her uncle’s side. “I wanna see my cousins!”

“Pooja, keep your voice down, they’re sleepy,” Padmé whispered.

Pooja pouted as she climbed on the bed, to sit beside her Uncle. Anakin softly moved Luke so his niece could see him better. Pooja hid her squeal of delight in his shoulder. Ryoo moved to her Aunt’s side to peer over at Leia. “She’s so cute, Aunt Padmé,” she gushed. “Also, she looks just like you!”

“What are they called?” Pooja questioned, one little hand coming to touch her cousin’s cheek softly. “I’m going to be the best cousin ever,” she whispered, a promise to herself and her baby cousins.

Anakin grinned at his nieces’ eagerness. “Luke and Leia.”

“Ooh, those go very well with each other, nice job,” Sola complimented, as she followed her daughters inside the room. “I apologize for barging in, we just couldn’t wait to meet the new royal heirs,” she smiled sheepishly.

“We were also worried,” Jobal added as she came to her daughter’s side, and kissed her forehead. “When the girl commed us and said the babies were born, all we could think it was before their due date.”

“How are they?” Ruwee asked, standing beside his wife, but looking directly at Anakin.

“The three of them are in perfect health,” Anakin replied, smiling as Pooja kept caressing Luke’s chubby cheek in absolute awe. “Your daughter is the bravest woman I know!” He looked adoringly at his wife.

“I’ll say, look at the size of these two,” Sola chuckled.

“You should have heard Anakin the first time the Emdee told us Luke was bigger than Leia. He started panicking that this little guy was going to starve her, but you wouldn’t do that to your sister, would you, Luke?” Padmé murmured, beaming at her son as Leia’s suckling began to slow down. “Does someone want to take her for a moment so I can put my nightgown back on properly?”

“Let me,” Jobal offered, moving in to take her new granddaughter. Leia fussed at the transfer, but her grandmother soothed her, humming one of the old lullabies she’d sung when Padmé and Sola were girls. Ryoo gawked at her aunt as she did up the top of the shift, covering herself once more.

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

“Not if I’m doing it right. They don’t have teeth yet.”

“Can we hold them?” Pooja asked. “Please? We’ll be careful.”

Anakin rolled his eyes at the jab. “Yes, blame me for being worried my children were in any kind of danger. You can hold him with my help,” he said with a smile and Pooja beamed.

“Be careful, Pooja, please,” Sola pleaded.

“I got this. I'm the best cousin ever,” Pooja said confidently. She sat up straighter and Anakin placed Luke carefully on her little arms. At the movement, Luke whimpered and mewled in protest. Like she was a professional baby whisper, Pooja started to imitate her grandmother and Luke still sniffed but with Anakin’s help, supporting his head and back, he quieted down. “He’s a lot heavier than Mina.”

“You brought Mina?” Padmé asked. “I didn’t think she was old enough to travel yet!”

“She’s almost a year old now, Padmé,” Sola reminded her sister. “And space travel has gotten significantly easier for children and infants lately. How bad _was_ your pregnancy brain?”

“Pretty bad,” Anakin mumbled. “Almost adopted fifteen orphans and non-orphans,” he ranted, shaking his head. “Among other unbelievable things.”

“It'll be better next time,” Ruwee promised. “We can't let young Luke here be the only boy in a flock of girls, now can we?”

“Daddy!” Padmé squeaked indignantly. “Why would you say something like that?”

“He’ll be a heartbreaker and with this  _flock of girls_ around him, he’ll know exactly what to do to get all the women of the Galaxy at his feet,” Sola quipped.

“It’s really soon to be talking about a  _next_ time,” Anakin said with a half-laugh. “Your daughter was miserable, I don’t think she’ll want to do this anytime soon.”

“Damn right I don't,” Padmé grumbled. “And just for that, you get to hold them last, Dad. By order of the Empress.”

“I watched the Empress fall on her bum too many times, she doesn’t scare me” Ruwee smirked. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but nothing is going to stop me from holding my first grandson. Can I, Pooja?”

“If you must,” Pooja replied, all ten-year-old arrogance. “Careful with his head, Grandad.”

“Traitor,” muttered Padmé.

“My granddaughter forgets I’ve raised two daughters and already have three granddaughters,” Ruwee chuckled and with Anakin’s aid, Luke was being held by his Grandfather. “Oh, aren’t you a handsome boy. Very quiet too. Being passed around like this, can’t be an easy task.”

“You can already tell he’s like Padmé. Nothing can shake her,” Sola pointed out.

While the Naberries fussed over the new members of their family, Anakin sat beside Padmé and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple.

“Should we tell them about our plans?” Padmé murmured as she leaned her head against his chest.

“Your Mother would immediately start planning the wedding, are you ready for that already?” He chuckled, whispering in her ear.

She groaned, acknowledging that he was right. “Force, she’ll be a monster about it. Never mind.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Darred asked as he joined them, carrying baby Mina in his arms. Until this point, Padmé and Anakin had only seen their youngest niece in blue-tinted holos. In person, the similarities between her and Leia were almost uncanny, though of course, Mina was much bigger and chubbier.

“Nothing,” Padmé said innocently, her hand curling around the japor snippet still hanging from her neck. “It's good to see you, Darred.”

“It’s good to see you too,” he smiled. “You never visit anymore.”

“We tried,” Anakin intervened. “But there were so many things to take care of and then Padmé got pregnant and the traveling was not advised... we’re sorry,” he said apologetically.

Darred laughed. “Don’t worry about it. I can imagine running an Empire can leave you without time. But the girls kept ranting about the amazing time they had and if it wasn’t their little sister, they would have begged to come back again.”

“Yes, but Mina kept them entertained,” Sola murmured and as her youngest daughter extended her arms towards her, she smiled and picked the baby from her husband’s lap.

“A boy on your first try,” Darred mused as he stood by his Father-in-law’s side. Neither Padmé nor Anakin corrected him. “I had three tries, all girls. I’m bound to be surrounded by beautiful women,” he sighed, dramatically. Sola rolled her eyes and slapped him lightly on the arm.

“You can always try for the fourth time,” Ruwee shrugged as he gazed down at his only grandson. Luke was fast asleep.

“Ruwee, stop trying to turn your daughters into baby making machines,” Jobal scolded lightly, a now sleeping Leia in her arms.

“Yes, Daddy, stop,” Sola narrowed her eyes. “I think we should let the new family rest. The babies are already sleeping and our Empress must be dying to get some rest of her own. Mothering tip number one, little sister, sleep when they sleep.”

“I never would have guessed,” Padmé said dryly. “Can we have them back now?”

“Five more minutes,” Ryoo begged. “I haven't gotten to hold them yet!”

“You can hold them when they're awake,” Sola informed her eldest daughter. “Let your aunt and cousins get their rest, we need to get settled in too. We _are_ allowed to stay for a while, yes?”

“Obviously, it was about time you all spent some time in Coruscant with us,” Anakin said. “Ahsoka will take you to your wing, I’ve asked to have everything ready for you but if there’s something missing, you can always ask her.”

Ruwee and Jobal gave their grandchildren back to their parents and after the goodbyes, the couple was alone again with their newborns.

“My dad’s almost as bad as you were,” Padmé murmured, cradling Luke close.

“In what way?” Anakin asked curiously, kissing his daughter's forehead sweetly, absolutely delighted to have her weight on his arms.

“Boy fever,” she replied with a little smile. “I think he was this close to kidnapping Luke, except he knows you have a lightsaber.”

“My boy fever was for a very different reason,” Anakin chuckled. “Hm, no, no one is taking my son, over my dead body and...uh...let’s not tell anyone this, but I kind of destroyed my lightsaber.”

“What?” Padmé gaped at him. “How did _that_ happen?”

“I lost a duel with Obi-Wan. Not duel, a training session,” Anakin said bitterly. “My lightsaber was throwing me off completely. I hated how it fit in my hand and it’s weight...which is unusual because I made it especially for me. I got mad when I lost, threw the thing against the column and it broke. The crystal shattered,” he shrugged. “Obi-Wan told me that...since it was a Sith lightsaber and I’m no longer one...that maybe it was time for a change. He gave me a new crystal.”

“Good,” she blurted, then blushed a little. “I never said anything, but I hated that you were still using the blade you were going to use to kill me.”

Anakin looked at her, shocked. “You could have said something, I would have gotten rid of it. I never thought it bothered you. The worst order he gave me was when he sent me to kill you.”

“I never said anything because I knew how important it was to you. You used it to kill him, to kill Dooku. _Some_ good did come out of it.”

“When will you realize that you’re more important to me? Over anything, Padmé, you can be sure of that. You and our children are the Galaxy to me.”

“I know.” Padmé pressed her forehead to his, closing her eyes as she smiled. “And the three of you are _everything_ to me. Whatever else might have been, that's what I know now to be true with everything that I am.”

The Emdees approached, bringing two small beds for the twins. Padmé pouted slightly as they moved to take the babies, but she couldn’t fully suppress the yawn that escaped her lips. Sola had been right, they all needed sleep. “I love you, Anakin Skywalker.”

The twins were resting in their small beds, and his wife was sleepy. It was then Anakin realized he was _exhausted._ “I love you too, Padmé Skywalker. Rest, you deserve it, my love.”


	36. Epilogue: Revitalization

“Padmé? Are you ready?” Her father’s voice came from outside the door of her bedroom, and Padmé hesitated, looking at her own reflection in the mirror, and the lush landscapes of Naboo behind her.

She looked how she’d wanted to when she was a little girl, imaging this day. And she couldn’t be happier. “Yes, Dad, I’m ready. You can come in.”

Ruwee entered the room, impeccably dressed in his robes. When he saw Padmé, tears came to his eyes. “You look beautiful, sweetheart. Dare to say...much more beautiful than your first wedding.”

“Oh, don't start,” Padmé scolded, smoothing out her pure white skirts. “This is a happy day, let's not mention anything like that.”

“Of course. I'm sorry.”

“It's alright.” Padmé fingered the pendant resting at the hollow of her throat, the one Anakin had given her just before her labor had begun, and took one last deep breath. “Let's go. I'm sure Anakin is waiting impatiently on the terrace for my arrival.”

Ruwee laughed warmly. “I'm sure you're right. And far be it from me to keep the two of you apart on this day.”

On the terrace, Anakin distracted himself with his five month old daughter. Luke was being pampered by his Grandmother and cousins, but Leia wanted her father, so, naturally, Anakin was wrapped around her pinkie. He was softly speaking to the baby about the beautiful picture before them. The view of the terrace was breathtaking and he couldn’t wait to get married to his wife again.

“Mommy is trying to see if she gives me a heart attack, sweetheart,” Anakin mumbled to his daughter as Leia happily gripped his robes with her chubby fists. “She should be here now,” Leia just babbled. “I know, I know, she’ll be here any second,” she blew a raspberry in his face. “Now you’re just mocking me, little one.”

“Padmé might not like you having eyes for another woman today,” Ashoka reminded him. “Let me take her, Skyguy, you can get her back once the ceremony’s done.”

Anakin smiled and kissed his daughter’s cheek a few times before passing her to Ahsoka’s arms. Leia immediately squirmed, pouting and the beginning of fake tears in her eyes. “Daddy needs to marry Mommy, little angel,” Anakin muttered, kissing her palm. The baby sniffed and pouted.

“You’re completely screwed when she gets older,” Ahsoka snickered bouncing Leia gently. “Who has Daddy wrapped around her pinkie?” Leia gurgled, a hint of a smile.

“Anakin, she’s coming!” Satine announced. “Stand in your place, go on.”

Padmé and Ruwee stepped out from the arches of Varykino’s edifice, and everyone fell silent, even the babies. The gently cascading of white silk, intricately decorated with lace and pearls made Naboo’s former queen look more than human in her beauty, and yet it also seemed effortlessly natural. This was the way things were meant to be, she radiated happiness and love.

Father and daughter made the short journey to the railing where Anakin waited with the Pontifex, and from beneath her veil, Padmé smiled. “Sorry I'm late.”

His breath was taken away by her beauty. She truly was an Angel and he was the luckiest man alive. Anakin believed she was even more beautiful today, than the day they got married before the entire Galaxy. This was her, the woman he’d always wanted. His eyes didn’t stray away from her, afraid she might be an illusion. His smile widened with every step she took closer to him and when she was nearby, he took her hand and squeezed it gently. “You are worth the wait.”

Padmé took his other hand, standing opposite him as the Pontifex read the final verses of the legend of Set and Veré, then indicated that one of them should speak their pledge. It was Padmé who spoke first.

“Whatever history we have no longer matters to me. I just want to know that our future will be one with happiness and health and love. This is all I ever wanted for myself. Maybe it didn't happen in quite the way I imagined it, but you've given me everything, Anakin. I can't promise that I will always agree with you. But I can promise that I will always be honest, and loyal, and that I will _always_ love you.”

“A lot happened since we were first wed, not all of it good, not all of it easy. I will be forever grateful that you stood by my side through all the ups and downs -- and they were a lot -- life threw at our way. I can’t ever thank you enough for what you did for me. You saved me. You are the reason I stand here today, as a complete, happy and fulfilled man. You’ve given me more than what I deserve and I vow to you, that I will dedicate the rest of my life to make you, and our children, happy. I vow that I will always listen to your advice, to your wisdom, to your guidance. Lastly, I vow that everyday, I’ll prove my love for you. My Queen, my Empress, my Angel.”

“May faith, fortune, and the light of your love guide and protect you always in your life together,” the Pontifex pronounced, and the sentence was barely finished before Padmé was pulling her husband down to kiss him soundly as their friends and family applauded.

Anakin’s arms wrapped themselves around her waist as he pulled her closer to him, so there was no distance between them. He kissed her back just as passionately. They only broke apart when air was a necessity, but he still didn’t let go of her, dropping feather like kisses on her cheeks. “I love you so, so much. Words aren’t enough to tell you how happy you make me,” he grinned happily.

“Spend the rest of our lives showing me, then,” she told him with a laugh as their children were pressed into their arms, the entire Imperial House of Skywalker crushed in the embrace of the people who loved them.

_**THE END** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for staying with us through all the ups and downs of this story.  
> As a reward, turn the page to see a preview of our next project!


	37. PREVIEW: In His Very Soul

**Coming soon...**

_**Ten years ago, the effort to liberate Naboo from Trade Federation control failed. Chancellor Palpatine managed to rescue the young Queen Amidala and two of her handmaidens, formally adopting her as his own. The new father and daughter quickly manipulated the Senate into granting him emergency powers and creating the Grand Army of the Republic, letting the Clone Wars begin.** _

_**Now, assassins are coming for Padmé Palpatine, and her father has entrusted her safety to his mysterious enforcer, Darth Vader. While neither bodyguard nor charge is happy about this arrangement, there is an attraction they cannot ignore.** _

* * *

“Get on the mat,” she growled, clenching her fists and adopting a fighting stance. “Or are you afraid of losing to a woman?”

Vader sighed dramatically and adopted a calm stance of his own. “If I have to,” he says bored. “Come on, little kitten, let’s see what you are made of,” he couldn’t help the teasing nickname, but her feisty attitude just made him want to push her until she was undone and she has lost all her regal posture.

Padmé’s face melted into calm passivity, and she pulled her leg back, launching it straight at his face without so much as a word. Vader grabbed her ankle and tugged her forward, driving her to fall on her back. “Basic,” he shook his head. “Try again,” he smirked.

“Who says this isn’t exactly where I want to be?” she retorted, planting her hands on either side of her head to launch herself upwards and lock her legs tightly around his shoulders. She threw her whole body weight into the move, twisting them both so that now he was the one getting thrown to the ground.

Vader grunted as the sudden movement made him hit the ground. Hard. _I was not expecting that._ “So you wanted to be on top of me, then?” He quipped, and then raised his upper body to throw her off of him. He grabbed her arms and locked her wrists with one hand on top of her head.

“I want you to remember that I am not some fragile little princess who’s going to fall to pieces if you don’t come to save her,” Padmé answered, jerking her knee up to slam into his nether regions. “And in the interest of honesty, Lord Vader, I don’t trust you not to betray my father. Dooku did, after all.”

Her blow knocked out his breath and he fell backward. “Low blow,” he hissed and quickly gathered strength in the Force to recover his posture.

“We never said it was off-limits.” Padmé batted her eyelashes at him innocently.

* * *

Check out our process, inspiration, and reference board here on [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/misschrisdaae/in-his-very-soul/).

Read it here [now](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11989995)!


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